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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
Ever since MESSENGER entered orbit about Mercury in 2011, the dark impact melt flow of Waters crater has been a feature of interest. Targeted color imaging showed the distinctive blue color of the impact melt flow, inspiring the crater to be named for blues legend Muddy Waters in 2012. In 2013, this high-resolution image was acquired, revealing stunning new details of the impact melt flow beyond those visible previously.
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: September 16, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 21673915
Image ID: 4834878
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -9.00°
Center Longitude: 254.7° E
Resolution: 56 meters/pixel
Scale: Waters crater is 15 kilometers (9 miles) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 44.0°
Emission Angle: 44.8°
Phase Angle: 85.5°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
This WAC (Wide Angle Camera) image shows a large portion of the planet, known as a limb image. Prominent in this image is Waters crater in the top left corner, distinctive because of its bright rays and dark impact melt flow. Also identifiable in this picture are Beethoven basin, as well as the Bello crater, Rumi crater, Philoxenus crater, and partly visible: Palmer Rupes.
Date acquired: April 14, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 211284337
Image ID: 130687
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filter: 7 (748 nanometers)
Center Latitude: -21.12°
Center Longitude: 249.8° E
Resolution: 884 meters/pixel
Scale: Mercury's diameter is 4880 kilometers (3030 miles).
Incidence Angle: 69.6°
Emission Angle: 63.7°
Phase Angle: 28.0°
Photo credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
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