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In the top left part of this image is Seuss, a complex crater with hollows present on the crater's floor. In this enhanced color image, the hollows appear as bright blue-white features. Just outside of Seuss' rim, you can see some material that appears darker brown in the image. This is LRM, or Low Reflectance Material, and was probably excavated by the impactor when Seuss was formed. Extending from Seuss are bright crater rays, which are streams of ejecta that were thrown from the crater upon impact. In the bottom right of the image, you can see an irregularly shaped, orange-yellow depression that could be a volcanic vent.
This image was acquired as part of MDIS's high-resolution 3-color imaging campaign. The map produced from this campaign complements the 8-color base map (at an average resolution of 1 km/pixel) acquired during MESSENGER's primary mission by imaging Mercury's surface in a subset of the color filters at the highest resolution possible. The three narrow-band color filters are centered at wavelengths of 430 nm, 750 nm, and 1000 nm, and image resolutions generally range from 100 to 400 meters/pixel in the northern hemisphere.
Date acquired: July 08, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 47121909, 47121901, 47121905
Image ID: 6643252, 6643250, 6643251
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 2.83º
Center Longitude: 37.11º E
Resolution: 528 meters/pixel
Scale: Seuss is 64 km (40 miles) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 15.8º
Emission Angle: 12.2º
Phase Angle: 28.0º
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
This high-resolution image features hollows within an unnamed crater. Hollows often have bright halos and usually form in or around craters. Here, the hollows are forming on the crater floor, along the base of the crater wall, and on the top of the central peak.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: October 13, 2012
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 258630853
Image ID: 2758246
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 50.63°
Center Longitude: 320.6° E
Resolution: 15 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is about 16 km (10 miles) across.
Incidence Angle: 76.8°
Emission Angle: 15.0°
Phase Angle: 91.9°
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The left column of images shows MASCS VIRS interpolated color composites of Kertesz (top), Dominici (middle), and an unnamed crater (bottom). The middle column shows the VIRS color composite of spectral footprints, and the left column shows monochrome MDIS images for the same areas. Yellow areas are highly reflective and thought to be relatively young, exhibiting fewer effects of space weathering. Kertesz and Dominici are also known to contain hollows, which are shallow depressions with younger surfaces likely caused by the loss of volatiles.
The VIRS composite shows hundreds of individual footprints tracks (minimum 100-200 m across and 3-4 km long) taken from different directions and altitudes. In locations where multiple footprints cover the same area, the footprint with the best illumination for mineralogical interpretation (usually the lowest incidence angle where shadows are minimized) is used for making the map. Where footprints are sparse, interpolation is required for full spatial coverage.
Date Created: July 28, 2014
Instruments: Visible and Infrared Spectrograph (VIRS) of the Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) and Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
VIRS Color Composite Wavelengths: 575 nm as red, 415 nm/750 nm as green, 310 nm/390 nm as blue
Center Latitudes: 27.3° (top); 1.18° (middle); -3.6° (bottom)
Center Longitudes: 146.1° E (top); 323.5° E (middle); 60.9° E (bottom)
Resolution: 0.5 km/pixel
Scale: Kertesz crater (top) has a diameter of 32 km (20 mi.); Dominici crater (middle) has a diameter of 20 km (12 mi.)
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
This color view of Raditladi gives us a fresh view of the peak-ring basin. The bright hollows of Raditladi stand out in white along the peak ring against the smooth crater floor. These shallow depressions may result from the loss of volatile materials. Today's image also shows the darker ejecta of a crater that impacted the basin just above the southern peak-ring structure. The darker material was likely excavated during the small crater's impact.
This image was acquired as a targeted high-resolution 11-color image set. Acquiring 11-color targets is a new campaign that began in March 2013 and that utilizes all of the WAC's 11 narrow-band color filters. Because of the large data volume involved, only features of special scientific interest are targeted for imaging in all 11 colors.
Date acquired: June 22, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 45761752, 45761748, 45761746
Image ID: 6547149, 6547147, 6547146
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 28.37°
Center Longitude: 120.3° E
Resolution: 732 meters/pixel
Scale: Raditladi crater has a diameter of 257.7 km (160.1 miles)
Incidence Angle: 57.3°
Emission Angle: 38.5°
Phase Angle: 89.4°
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
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The top image is a MASCS VIRS interpolated color composite of craters Eminescu (center), with Xiao Zhao and Eastman toward the east and in Mercury's mid-latitudes. The bottom image is a monochrome MDIS mosaic of the same area. Yellow areas correspond to high values in both the red and green channels, that is, high reflectance (at 575 nm) and high values of the 415-nm/575-nm reflectance ratio. In some cases these spectral characteristics are associated with fresh material (like the rays of Xiao Zhao) that has been less affected by space weathering. Hollows, such as those found on and around the central peak of Eminescu, have similar colors.
The VIRS composite shows hundreds of individual footprints tracks (minimum 100-200 m across and 3-4 km long) taken from different directions and altitudes. In locations where multiple footprints cover the same area, the footprint with the best illumination for mineralogical interpretation (usually the lowest incidence angle where shadows are minimized) is used for making the map. In areas where footprints are sparse (separated by tens of km), observations are interpolated for complete coverage of the surface. In the MDIS mosaic, some brightness variations are due to tiling of images taken at different illuminations.
Date Created: June 16, 2014
Instruments: Visible and Infrared Spectrograph (VIRS) of the Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) and Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
VIRS Color Composite Wavelengths: 575 nm as red, 415 nm/750 nm as green, 310 nm/390 nm as blue
Center Latitude: 10.0°
Center Longitude: 114.3° E
Resolution: 1 km/pixel
Scale: Eminescu crater(center) is about 130 km (80 mi.) in diameter
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Today's image features a stunning view of two complex craters within the Caloris basin. The floor of Sander crater is covered with bright hollows, while Munch crater stands out due to its low-reflectance crater rim.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted color observation. Targeted color observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions higher than the 1-kilometer/pixel 8-color base map. During MESSENGER's one-year primary mission, hundreds of targeted color observations were obtained. During MESSENGER's extended mission, high-resolution targeted color observations are more rare, as the 3-color base map covered Mercury's northern hemisphere with the highest-resolution color images that are possible.
Date acquired: April 26, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 40804465, 40804485, 40804469
Image ID: 6194731, 6194736, 6194732
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 39.98°
Center Longitude: 153.1° E
Resolution: 290 meters/pixel
Scale: Sander crater is about 51 km (31.7 miles) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 46.9°
Emission Angle: 50.5°
Phase Angle: 79.7°
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
MESSENGER was just 184 km above Mercury's surface when it snapped this view of a hollow in Ahmad Baba crater. The hollow is located on the south-facing slope of Ahmad Baba's peak ring (north is toward the upper-right corner in this image).
This image was acquired as part of the MDIS low-altitude imaging campaign. During MESSENGER's second extended mission, the spacecraft makes a progressively closer approach to Mercury's surface than at any previous point in the mission, enabling the acquisition of high-spatial-resolution data. For spacecraft altitudes below 350 kilometers, NAC images are acquired with pixel scales ranging from 20 meters to as little as 2 meters.
Date acquired: May 12, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 42186174
Image ID: 6293058
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 57.60°
Center Longitude: 231.5° E
Resolution: 6 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is approximately 7 km (4 miles) across
Incidence Angle: 70.8°
Emission Angle: 49.0°
Phase Angle: 80.0°
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
One of our highest resolution views yet inside the beautiful Balanchine crater reveals the bright hollows that cover portions of the crater. (See also this lower resolution view taken in 2011, before Balanchine crater was named.) The hollows appear to reside not just on the floor, but on portions of the slumped crater walls as well.
This image was acquired as a targeted set of stereo images. Targeted stereo observations are acquired at resolutions much higher than that of the 200-meter/pixel stereo base map. These targets acquired with the NAC enable the detailed topography of Mercury's surface to be determined for a local area of interest.
Date acquired: April 18, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 40112892
Image ID: 6145582
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 38.18°
Center Longitude: 175.1° E
Resolution: 27 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is approximately 28 km (17 miles) across
Incidence Angle: 39.9°
Emission Angle: 7.9°
Phase Angle: 41.1°
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
As MESSENGER passes progressively closer to Mercury, we see ever more resolved features in the images the spacecraft returns. Here, at a pixel scale of 9 meters, we see the eastern portion of an unnamed crater 13 km (8 mi.) in diameter. The wall of the crater is replete with smaller, superposed craters, some of which appear elongate possibly because they impacted on the larger crater's inclined wall. Interestingly, there are bright spots on the sunlight portion of this crater's wall -- which is where we might expect hollows to form.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: March 3, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 36136338
Image ID: 5862963
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 56.3°
Center Longitude: 301.6° E
Resolution: 9 meters/pixel
Scale: The field of view in this image is 11 km (7 mi.) across
Incidence Angle: 59.3°
Emission Angle: 43.0°
Phase Angle: 102.3°
North is to the right in this scene.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Do hollows form preferentially on crater walls that receive more direct sunlight? In the northern hemisphere, the northern walls of craters are frequently sunlit, while the southern walls receive more grazing sunlight and are more often in shadow. (In the southern hemisphere it is the opposite.) The greater solar heating experienced by the northern wall may be an important factor in the formation of hollows. Images like the one here can help answer this question and are an area of focus for MESSENGER's current low-altitude imaging campaign. See these two other examples of hollows in craters walls.
This image was acquired as part of the MDIS low-altitude imaging campaign. During MESSENGER's second extended mission, the spacecraft makes a progressively closer approach to Mercury's surface than at any previous point in the mission, enabling the acquisition of high-spatial-resolution data. For spacecraft altitudes below 350 kilometers, NAC images are acquired with pixel scales ranging from 20 meters to as little as 2 meters.
Date acquired: February 25, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 35646241
Image ID: 5828285
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 42.92°
Center Longitude: 330.9° E
Resolution: 17 meters/pixel
Scale: This crater has a diameter of 12.5 kilometers (7.8 miles)
Incidence Angle: 43.5°
Emission Angle: 46.1°
Phase Angle: 30.1°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
In this dramatic image, Dominici crater takes center-stage. Dominici is 20 km (12 mi.) in diameter, and hosts a variety of landforms including a sharp crater rim, internal slumps, and abundant hollows. Dominici is also a rayed crater, which, together with its well-preserved rim, indicate that the crater is relatively young. This scene, taken from an oblique angle, gives us a good idea of what the surface of Mercury might look like from a spacecraft window as we zoom overhead!
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: January 30, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 33401837
Image ID: 5668405
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 1.1° N
Center Longitude: 323.5° E
Resolution: 79 meters/pixel
Scale: The crater in the image center is 20 km (about 12 mi.) across
Incidence Angle: 36.2°
Emission Angle: 41.8°
Phase Angle: 77.4°
North is to the bottom in this image
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
This image, just captured last week, shows Mercury's hollows in the highest resolution yet achieved! These hollows are located on the wall of Sholem Aleichem, within a region of low-reflectance material.
This image was acquired as part of the MDIS low-altitude imaging campaign. During MESSENGER's second extended mission, the spacecraft makes a progressively closer approach to Mercury's surface than at any previous point in the mission, enabling the acquisition of high-spatial-resolution data. For spacecraft altitudes below 350 kilometers, NAC images are acquired with pixel scales ranging from 20 meters to as little as 2 meters.
Date acquired: March 07, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 36539529
Image ID: 5891638
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 51.90°
Center Longitude: 267.53° E
Resolution: 7.9 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) across
Incidence Angle: 63.2°
Emission Angle: 14.9°
Phase Angle: 78.0°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
This image, taken at a high emission angle, helps the eye to see the three-dimensional nature of the scene. Dürer, a peak-ring basin, can be seen in the foreground. Dürer's peak ring is dotted with hollows. North is to the left in this image.
This image was acquired as part of MDIS's high-incidence-angle base map. The high-incidence-angle base map complements the surface morphology base map of MESSENGER's primary mission that was acquired under generally more moderate incidence angles. High incidence angles, achieved when the Sun is near the horizon, result in long shadows that accentuate the small-scale topography of geologic features. The high-incidence-angle base map was acquired with an average resolution of 200 meters/pixel.
Date acquired: November 16, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 26946160
Image ID: 5209643
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filter: 7 (748 nanometers)
Center Latitude: 20.68°
Center Longitude: 244.9° E
Resolution: 236 meters/pixel
Scale: Dürer basin is approximately 195 km (121 mi.) in diameter.
Incidence Angle: 67.1°
Emission Angle: 62.9°
Phase Angle: 30.0°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
MESSENGER has now surpassed 200,000 images acquired from orbit about Mercury! And there are still many more to come. In particular, acquiring NAC images when the spacecraft is closest to the planet is a priority for the remainder of the mission; such images will allow the highest resolution views of Mercury's surface to be captured. The four-image mosaic shown here is one of the first from the MDIS low-altitude imaging campaign. Among the details revealed are hollows that appear to have formed in one layer in the wall of this 15-kilometer-diameter crater.
This image was acquired as part of the MDIS low-altitude imaging campaign. During MESSENGER's second extended mission, the spacecraft makes a progressively closer approach to Mercury's surface than at any previous point in the mission, enabling the acquisition of high-spatial-resolution data. For spacecraft altitudes below 350 kilometers, NAC images are acquired with pixel scales ranging from 20 meters to as little as 2 meters.
Date acquired: December 05, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 28560063, 65, 67, 69
Image ID: 5324381-84
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 72.4°
Center Longitude: 124.9° E
Resolution: 16 meters/pixel
Scale: The height and width of each image is 8.5 kilometers (5.3 miles)
Incidence Angle: 73.4°
Emission Angle: 10.8°
Phase Angle: 81.9°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Today's image features the central peak complex of a large, unnamed crater on the plains surrounding the Caloris basin, roughly 400 km (250 mi) northwest of the crater Munch. The image has been stretched to highlight the details of the hollows that are forming on the crests of the peaks. The bright hollows on Mercury stand out in stark contrast to the low reflectance material with which they are frequently associated.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: July 05, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 218374017
Image ID: 466629
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 47.45°
Center Longitude: 145.6° E
Resolution: 30 meters/pixel
Scale: The image is about 31 km (19 mi.) wide
Incidence Angle: 48.0°
Emission Angle: 5.6°
Phase Angle: 53.7°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The hollows-covered floor of Kertesz, located near the center of this image, distinguishes it from the other craters in this enhanced-color scene. A 3-kilometer crater also features prominently in this image despite its small size, due to its extensive set of young, bright rays. Both of these features are located on the floor of the great Caloris basin, which is a host to a variety of interesting tectonic features, including the troughs visible on the east side of this image.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted color observation. Targeted color observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions higher than the 1-kilometer/pixel 8-color base map. During MESSENGER's one-year primary mission, hundreds of targeted color observations were obtained. During MESSENGER's extended mission, high-resolution targeted color observations are more rare, as the 3-color base map covered Mercury's northern hemisphere with the highest-resolution color images that are possible.
Date acquired: November 01, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 25622919, 25622939, 25622923
Image ID: 5115429, 5115434, 5115430
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 27.16°
Center Longitude: 146.1° E
Resolution: 272 meters/pixel
Scale: Kertesz has a diameter of 32 kilometers (20 miles)
Incidence Angle: 42.4°
Emission Angle: 36.9°
Phase Angle: 78.2°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The left side of today's image is dominated by an unnamed 75-km-diameter impact crater. The crater has several interesting features. Its western wall is quite broad, with extensive terracing and landslide scarps. The floor of the crater is flat, having been filled by volcanic plains or impact melt. The small central peaks, parts of the floor, and spots along the eastern rim are dotted with high-reflectance hollows. Finally, as outlined in the inset, the ejecta to the north and east of the rim appears to have flowed along the ground, and formed a terminal scarp. A recent paper by Beary Xiao and Goro Komatsu discusses this and other Mercurian craters that have flow-like ejecta, and makes comparisons with similar landforms on the Moon and Mars.
Z. Xiao and G. Komatsu (2013), Impact craters with ejecta flows and central pits on Mercury, Planetary and Space Science, vol. 82-83, pp. 62-78.
This image was acquired as part of MDIS's high-resolution stereo imaging campaign. Images from the stereo imaging campaign are used in combination with the surface morphology base map or the albedo base map to create high-resolution stereo views of Mercury's surface, with an average resolution of 200 meters/pixel. Viewing the surface under the same Sun illumination conditions but from two or more viewing angles enables information about the small-scale topography of Mercury's surface to be obtained.
Date acquired: November 03, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 228803487
Image ID: 966206
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filter: 7 (748 nanometers)
Center Latitude: 13.45°
Center Longitude: 298.0° E
Resolution: 182 meters/pixel
Scale: The scene is about 190 km (118 mi.) across
Incidence Angle: 68.6°
Emission Angle: 15.5°
Phase Angle: 55.3°
North is up in this image.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The steep walls of the crater Damer are highlighted in today's image. Named for the English sculptor Anne Seymour Damer (1749-1828) earlier this year, the 60-kilometer-diameter crater is distinguished by a central peak covered with hollows.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: November 13, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 26687033
Image ID: 5191249
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 36.25°
Center Longitude: 243.4° E
Resolution: 17 meters/pixel
Scale: This image is 17 kilometers (11 miles) across
Incidence Angle: 68.3°
Emission Angle: 3.0°
Phase Angle: 65.3°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
In the center of this image is a high-reflectance area that seems to be confined to a region of lower elevation that is bounded by linear scarp (cliff) segments. Such diffuse bright areas are sometimes related to the deposition of small secondary craters and ray segments by a relatively recent impact crater, but looking at regional images (for example, using QuickMap), there are no rayed craters in the immediate vicinity (though Han Kan might be a candidate). Therefore, a compositional difference may account for the difference in the albedo (brightness) of the material in the low-lying area. Are the scarps tectonic in nature (the result of vertical movement along faults), or were they formed by secondary crater chains? Also of interest in the scene are hollows on the central peak of the crater at the upper left, and the smooth impact melt on the floor of the terrace-walled crater just below center. Scientists will be at work for many years to solve the puzzle of Mercury's complicated geological history!
This image was acquired as part of the NAC ride-along imaging campaign. When data volume is available and MDIS is not acquiring images for its other campaigns, high-resolution NAC images are obtained of the surface. These images are designed not to interfere with other instrument observations but take full advantage of periods during the mission when extra data volume is available.
Date acquired: May 19, 2012
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 245904903
Image ID: 1853014
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -47.3°
Center Longitude: 177.3° E
Resolution: 179 meters/pixel
Scale: The scene is about 184 km (114 mi.) across
Incidence Angle: 47.7°
Emission Angle: 24.2°
Phase Angle: 71.9°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The Warhol crater hosts one of the best collections of hollows found on Mercury's surface. The crater's central peak is surrounded by a network of small hollows and a smooth floor formed from impact melt. The hollows seen in the Warhol crater have high albedos, making them easy to see.
This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.
Date acquired: September 23, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 22253846
Image ID: 4875892
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -2.55°
Center Longitude: 354.1° E
Resolution: 79 meters/pixel
Scale: Warhol is about 91 km (~57 mi.) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 78.5°
Emission Angle: 35.1°
Phase Angle: 113.6°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
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