skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Today's image shows an area in Mercury's northern latitudes crossed by a series of MASCS VIRS tracks displayed as a color composite, overlain on a MDIS base map mosaic. Craters Verdi and Janáček reside in this area, along with several unnamed craters. The VIRS footprints are smaller, each covering less area, in the northern hemisphere due to MESSENGER's elliptical orbit.
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 the MDIS mosaic, some brightness variations are due to tiling of images taken at different illuminations.
Date Created: July 27, 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: 57.7°
Center Longitude: 197.5° E
Resolution: 1 km/pixel
Scale: Verdi (top left) crater is 145 km (90 miles) in diameter
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Today's video is a MASCS VIRS raster scan of Lermontov in Mercury's mid latitudes. Raster scans return a large number of spectra for targeted areas of interest. This movie was created from 258 VIRS spectra, taken 1 to 5 seconds apart. The VIRS color composite has been overlain on an MDIS image of Lermontov, showing that the crater center is red and thus brighter at longer wavelengths compared to the average Mercury terrain.
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.
Date Observed: August 8, 2013
Date Created: July 29, 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
Initial Latitude of Scan: 14.0°
Initial Longitude of Scan: 310.8° E
Final Latitude of Scan: 17.8°
Final Longitude of Scan: 310.0° E
Resolution: 0.25 km/pixel
Scale: Lermontov is 166 km (103 mi.) in diameter
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
The top image is a MASCS VIRS color composite of Rembrandt, Mercury's second largest impact basin. The bottom image is a MDIS color mosaic of the same area. Rembrandt's rim appears blue in both images, indicating low reflectance relative to its center in the VIRS image. Some small, fresh craters appear in yellow and are highly reflective in VIRS.
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.
Date Created: July 27, 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
MDIS Color Wavelengths: 1000nm as red, 750nm as green, 430 as blue
Center Latitude: -34.3°
Center Longitude: 87.2° E
Resolution: 1 km/pixel
Scale: Rembrandt is 715 km (444 mi.) in diameter
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The top image is a MASCS VIRS interpolated color composite of craters Munch and Sander (center), with Poe toward the east. These craters are in the north of Caloris basin. The center image is a MASCS color composite showing individual spectral footprints. The bottom image is a monochrome MDIS mosaic of the same area. The three crater rims are blue, indicating low reflectance. Sander's floor is yellow, however, which is high reflectance and indicative of fresh material.
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. This is particularly true in the northern hemisphere, where Caloris is located. 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: 42.5°
Center Longitude: 154.5° E
Resolution: 1 km/pixel
Scale: Sander crater (center) is about 50 km (31 mi.) in diameter.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
The top image is a MASCS VIRS color composite of Waters crater (center) in Mercury's mid latitudes. The bottom image is a monochrome MDIS mosaic of the same area. The central blue area corresponds to both Waters and its impact melt flow. The encompassing yellow area likely relates to Waters' ejecta blanket. Blue areas indicate low reflectance, while yellow areas relate to high reflectance and newer material.
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 the MDIS mosaic, some brightness variations are due to tiling of images taken at different illuminations.
Date Created: July 7, 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: -9.1°
Center Longitude: 254.6° E
Resolution: 0.5 km/pixel
Scale: Waters crater (center) is about 15 km (9.3 mi.) in diameter.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
+with+Xiao+Zhao+and+Eastman+by+MASCS+VIRS+top+and+MDIS+bottom.jpg)
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
The Sun's light provides a powerful tool for understanding the composition of materials in the Solar System. Today's image features two views of Mercury provided by the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) instrument. As the Sun's light hits the surface of Mercury, the Visible and Infrared Spectrograph (VIRS) portion of MASCS measures many wavelengths of the reflected light from a single spot on the surface at a time. These observations create a spectral profile of the surface as MESSENGER orbits Mercury. In each panel, the top left corner of the image is 70°N,180°E and the bottom right corner is 70°S,180°E. Most of Caloris basin can be seen along the right edge of each panel. The top panel is a monochromatic image of the interpolated 750 nm reflectance, and the bottom panel shows the same data but in a false color composite selected to highlight compositional variations on the surface.
The monochromatic map is part of a data set that was released to the public earlier this month through the Planetary Data System (PDS). In conjunction with the release, the team hosted a Data User's Workshop at the 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, which is being held this week in The Woodlands, Texas.
Instruments: Visible and Infrared Spectrograph (VIRS) of the Mercury Atmosphere and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS)
Center Latitude: 0°
Center Longitude: 0° E
Map Projection: Simple Cylindrical
VIRS Monochromatic Wavelength: 750 nm
VIRS Color Composite Wavelengths: 575 nm as red, 415 nm/750 nm as green, 310 nm/390 nm as blue
Scale: Caloris Basin is 1,550 km (963 mi) across.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Posts
