New spectacular high-resolution (90m/pixel) view of Mercury from Messenger

After nearly three months in orbit about Mercury, MESSENGER's payload is providing a wealth of new information about the planet closest to the Sun, as well as a few surprises.
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A Surface Revealed in Unprecedented Detail

Among the fascinating features seen in MESSENGER flyby images of Mercury were bright, patchy deposits on some crater floors. Without high-resolution images to obtain a closer look, these features remained a curiosity. New targeted Mercury Dual Imaging System images at up to 10 meters per pixel reveal these patchy deposits to be clusters of rimless, irregular pits varying in size from hundreds of meters to several kilometers. These pits are often surrounded by diffuse halos of higher-reflectance material, and they are found associated with central peaks, peak rings, and rims of craters.

Full NASA release here



This spectacular view of the crater Degas was obtained as a high-resolution targeted observation (90 m/pixel). Impact melt coats its floor, and as the melt cooled and shrank, it formed the cracks observed across the crater. For context, Mariner 10’s view of Degas is shown at left. Degas is 52 km in diameter and is centered at 37.1° N, 232.8° E.
Full size visible here

Press release

wow looks like slat down in the crater...

good catch OP!!

Thanks!

Incredible the progress we have made over the century, I wonder what will be the next step for Mercury? Another probe landing on its surface?

Google Mercury would be sweeeeet!

Is that an alien base I see to the left of the crater?

HAHA!! Just kidding. But seriously, this is the only photo they've released, but you know it wasn't the only one taken. More are on the way, I hope.

Originally posted by amaster
But seriously, this is the only photo they've released...

WHAT???!!!



How can you even think such a thing? Because you've only seen one picture, that obviously means only one has been released?
You didn't even bother to look - you just assumed you were right. I googled "Messenger Mercury" and immediately found the official web site. They have gigabytes of photos from orbit. Here are some of them.

"...the only photo they've released..."

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/0230436c8c82.jpg[/atsimg]

Hey Saint~
Take a chill pill buddy. No need for those harsh all CAPS.
How bout you say" hey look here, Ive found some other photos that they took, here they are."
Insted you choose to make an entire post, bashing another member. Like I said, take it easy man.

Anyhoo- Great post, I cant wait until we have Google solar system. That would be sweet, to just fly around the solar system and zoom in on any plantary body you choose. I wonder if google would incorperate the actual distances between the planets when you use their zoom feature. (may take a while to check out Uranus) hehe I said anus.

Originally posted by iksose7

Google Mercury would be sweeeeet!

messenger.jhuapl.edu...

idk if this is exactly what you're looking for but it looks pretty close.

reply to post by Saint Exupery


HAHAH!! No, thank you for that. I was honestly being lazy and didn't bother to look, but thank you for the link. I foolishly assumed by the word "NEW" in the OP article that this type of high res image was the first of it's kind to be received.

Tens of thousands of images of major features on the planet — previously seen only at comparatively low resolution — are now available in sharp focus.

reply to post by amaster


Well, you're very gracious, but my fellow Texan is probably right - I could have said it better. I know NASA bashing is a popular passtime on ATS, but they really do try hard to make as much data and as many pix as possible available to the public as soon as possible. Maybe if people stopped thinking of NASA personnel as soul-less government drones, and instead realized that they are space-heads like the rest of us, but who have really, really cool jobs, then we can all share the excitement of their discoveries.

Peace.

Well said Saint.
Im sure there are ALOT of images and knowledge that nasa wont/not allowed to release but even the information they do release still amazes me every time. There is sooooo much to learn about our universe and it just boggles my mind to try and understand why every person in the world isnt hanging on the edge of their seat for the next article, book, images about outer space. To me its the coolest thing since sliced bread.

~much love~

reply to post by Talltexxxan

I found some interesting "stuff"..

Because one is just not enough.

I am sorry but that is water i see in the middle of that crater.

Haters Hate, Lovers Love

But that IS WATER!!!!!

Unless somebody else knows otherwise.......

Im not talking about the anomaly that could be mistaken for a water feature or water fountain, dead in the centre of the crater, i am on about the space around that, the on the inside of the crater but around the centre, it looks exactly what water looks like from above..............

peace