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> Mercury seen by Messenger spacecraft

Mercury seen by Messenger spacecraft

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

reference: a-mer04-00024

Image Size 300 DPI: 9 * 9 cm

This image shows a bright crater with an extensive system of impact ejecta rays; the crater is visible on the southern portion of Mercury near the limb of the planet. This impact crater and its associated system of rays were originally detected in 1969 as a `bright feature` in radar images at 12.5-centimeter wavelength obtained by the Goldstone Observatory in California. Subsequently, about a decade ago, radar images acquired by the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico clearly revealed this feature to be a crater with a fresh system of rays of rough material radiating outward from it. This feature has been referred to simply as feature `A.` MESSENGER's recent Mercury flyby provided the first spacecraft images of feature `A,` enabling this relatively young crater with its impressive set of rays to be seen here in close-up detail.

Keywords for this photo:

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