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> Mercury by Messenger- Jan 14 2008

Mercury by Messenger- Jan 14 2008

author: Nasa/JHUAPL/ Carnegie Institution of Washington/Novapix

reference: a-mer04-00003

Image Size 300 DPI: 9 * 9 cm

This image was taken on January 14, 2008 by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft with the Narrow Angle Camera just 21 minutes after its closest approach to Mercury. It shows a variety of intriguing surface features, including craters as small as about 300 meters (about 300 yards) across. This is one of the 68 images showing landscapes near Mercury's equator on the side of the planet never before imaged by spacecraft. One of the highest and longest scarps (cliffs) yet seen on Mercury curves from the top center down across the right side of this image. (The Sun is shining low from the left, so the scarp casts a wide shadow.) Great forces in Mercury's crust have thrust the terrain occupying the left two-thirds of the picture up and over the terrain to the right. An impact crater has subsequently destroyed a small part of the scarp near the top of the image. This image was taken from a distance of only 5,800 kilometers (3,600 miles) from surface of the planet and shows a region about 170 kilometers (about 100 miles) across.

Keywords for this photo:

2008 - ASTRONOMY - BLACK AND WHITE - CRATER - IMPACT CRATER - MERCURY - MESSENGER - PLANET -