Topic: Scientific Picture of the Week

[sam]

MESSENGER reveals more of Mercury’s secrets




The wide angle camera took this image of the planet about 90 minutes after closest approach. The image reveals an extensive ray system of bright white material emanating from a relatively young impact crater in the north of the planet and extending to regions south of the crater known as Kuiper, the bright crater in the centre of the image, that was previously identified in Mariner 10 images. The rays appear brighter than their surrounds since they represent fresh material thrown out from the crater that has yet to be degraded by Mercury’s environment. Image: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington.

http://astronomynow.com/081008MESSENGERrevealsmoreofMercuryssecrets.html