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Blue and Yellow
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Caption:
This image, located north of Rachmaninoff , features a possible volcanic vent to the east and an expanse of terrain that appears blue in this color view to the west. The depression's orange-yellow color and irregular shape are similar to other possible volcanic vents on Mercury. To the west of the large vent is a crater with an orange, irregularly shaped depression on its floor that may also be a vent. Vents on Mercury are indicative of explosive volcanism that was prevalent in Mercury's past.
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:
July 03, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET):
46686728, 46686748, 46686732
Image ID:
6612580, 6612585, 6612581
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:
36.10°
Center Longitude:
54.93° E
Resolution:
215 meters/pixel
Scale:
The crater with a possible vent on its floor is about 20 km (12.4 miles) in diameter.
Incidence Angle:
40.6°
Emission Angle:
39.4°
Phase Angle:
78.0°
Background Info:
The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation are unraveling the history and evolution of the Solar System's innermost planet. During the first two years of orbital operations, MESSENGER acquired over 150,000 images and extensive other data sets. MESSENGER is capable of continuing orbital operations until early 2015.
For information regarding the use of images, see the MESSENGER image use policy .
Cataloging Keywords:
| Name | Value | Additional Values |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Mercury | |
| System | ||
| Target Type | Planet | |
| Mission | MESSENGER | |
| Instrument Host | MESSENGER | |
| Host Type | Orbiter | |
| Instrument | Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) | |
| Detector | Wide Angle Camera (WAC) | |
| Extra Keywords | Color, Crater, Map, Radio, Volcano | |
| Acquisition Date | ||
| Release Date | 2014-08-18 | |
| Date in Caption | 2014-07-03 | |
| Image Credit | NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18681 | |
| Identifier | PIA18681 | |
