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Craters, Peaks, and Chains
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Caption:
This image shows a unnamed complex crater, with a large central peak . Complex craters are characterized by central peaks, flat crater floors, and terraced walls. Just below the southern rim of the crater is a secondary chain coming from a different crater. The rim of Navoi crater can be seen in the bottom right.
This image was acquired as part of MDIS's minimum-phase-angle color campaign. Near the north polar region, the incidence angle (measured from the vertical) is always fairly high because the Sun is low on the horizon. The minimum-phase-angle color campaign acquires images under conditions that minimize the shadows in an image by viewing the surface as nearly as possible from the same direction as the Sun's illumination, which minimizes the phase angle. Images are acquired through five of the WAC's narrow-band color filters, for regions north of 60° N, at an average resolution of 500 meters/pixel. The minimum-phase-angle color campaign began in March 2013.
Date acquired:
April 19, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET):
40227861, 40227852, 40227858
Image ID:
6153819, 6153816, 6153818
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:
61.39°
Center Longitude:
158.9° E
Resolution:
302 meters/pixel
Scale:
The central crater has a diameter of about 56 km (35 mi.).
Incidence Angle:
64.7°
Emission Angle:
36.6°
Phase Angle:
28.0°
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. 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, Radio, Shadow | |
| Acquisition Date | ||
| Release Date | 2014-06-18 | |
| Date in Caption | 2014-04-19 | |
| Image Credit | NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington | |
| Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA18525 | |
| Identifier | PIA18525 | |
