Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Messenger's Degas View

NASA ^ | June 22, 2011 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: Now imaging inner planet Mercury from orbit, the MESSENGER spacecraft wide angle camera has returned this impressive color view of Degas Crater, with a full resolution of 90 meters per pixel. Named for the impressionist painter, the 52 kilometer diameter crater is also shown in an inset context image from the Mariner 10 flyby mission in the mid 1970s. In MESSENGER's view, the crater floor is seen to be filled with an intricate series of cracks, formed as the molten surface resulting from the impact cooled and contracted. Starkly bright, patchy deposits, suggesting compositional differences and freshly exposed material, standout around the crater's central peaks and walls. Details of similar bright deposits are seen in even higher resolution images from MESSENGER.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: NASA/JHU APL/CIW]

[SunkenCiv]

This is a shot of the Degas crater on Mercury. Note: I dropped the all-caps "MESSENGER" in the title.

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[JohnG45]

My God, I see a face!

[bigheadfred]

I like this one. But I wish they would have shown the whole crater.

[Young Werther]

Are you sure? Or are you just horsing around?

[bigheadfred]

here's a nice one that shows the ejecta pattern better

[JoeProBono]

[JohnG45]

Just kidding.

By the way, what’s with the long face?

[Young Werther]

Are you going to Kerry this thread onward and upward!

I actually thought that picture was the inside of this smiley face's bikini!

[TheOldLady]

Stop looking in the mirror and pay attention to the APOD. ;-p

[TheOldLady]

That looks like a relatively recent impact. The two that are near it have already been covered by regolith.

I agree with you Fred. It’s odd that the crater is a third out of the frame. Hmmm... that must be the location of the aliens’ star base.

[SunkenCiv]

Oh, a wise guy, huh?

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, that is a nice one.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, that must be it. ;’)

[TheOldLady]

Hi Civ. ;-)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks JPB.