Craters In Caloris

MERCURY RISING

Craters In Caloris

The fact that both of these craters, which show different material characteristics, are located within Caloris basin provides information about the variety and complexity of processes that have shaped Mercury's surface.

by Staff Writers
Laurel MD (SPX) Mar 04, 2008
As MESSENGER sped by Mercury on January 14, 2008, the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) captured this image, which includes the edge of the planet against the blackness of space. Much of the foreground shows a portion of Caloris basin, one of the largest impact basins in the solar system. The large crater in the bottom middle of this image has a diameter of about 70 kilometers (40 miles).

Caloris basin is an area of particular interest to the MESSENGER science team, since understanding its formation can lead to insights about the nature of large impacts in the early solar system and the results of these catastrophic events. In a false-color image of Mercury Caloris basin is visible in the northern hemisphere of the planet as a large, light-colored, roughly circular feature; the floor of the basin may have some differences in its composition compared with the darker surrounding surfaces.

The two large craters shown in the released image are each surrounded by a "halo" of dark material, like the craters shown in our release of February 21. The smaller of the two craters has an unusual pattern of bright, highly reflective material on its floor. The fact that both of these craters, which show different material characteristics, are located within Caloris basin provides information about the variety and complexity of processes that have shaped Mercury's surface.

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MERCURY RISING

MESSENGER: Craters With Dark Halos On Mercury

Laurel MD (SPX) Feb 25, 2008
As MESSENGER flew by Mercury on January 14, 2008, the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) captured this view. Two of the larger craters in this image appear to have darkened crater rims and partial "halos" of dark material immediately surrounding the craters.

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