Radiating from Rembrandt

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Caption:

A portion of Enterprise Rupes , which cuts across the beautiful Rembrandt basin , can be seen at the top of the image featured here. Below Enterprise is a trough, filled in with smooth plains, that formed as ejecta from the Rembrandt basin impact event scoured the surface, creating what is known as "basin sculpture." Belgica Rupes is seen at the bottom of the frame.

This image was acquired as part of MDIS's limb imaging campaign. Once per week, MDIS captures images of Mercury's limb, with an emphasis on imaging the southern hemisphere limb. These limb images provide information about Mercury's shape and complement measurements of topography made by the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) of Mercury's northern hemisphere.

Date acquired: July 29, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 48998458
Image ID: 6776363
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filter: 7 (748 nanometers)
Center Latitude: -42.53°
Center Longitude: 70.97° E
Resolution: 401 meters/pixel
Scale: This scene is approximately 500 km (300 miles) across
Center Incidence Angle: 75.9°
Center Emission Angle: 63.1°
Center Phase Angle: 102.3°

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 .

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