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Credit & Copyright: Astrogeology Team,
U.S. Geological Survey
Explanation:
Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun,
remains the most mysterious of the Solar System's inner planets.
Hiding in the Sun's glare it is
a difficult target for Earth bound observers.
The only spacecraft to explore Mercury close-up was Mariner 10 which
executed 3 flybys of Mercury in 1974 and 1975,
surveying approximately 45 percent of its surface.
Mariner 10 deftly manuevered to photograph part of the sunlit
hemisphere during each approach, passed behind the planet,
and continued to image the sun-facing side as the spacecraft receded.
Its highest resolution
photographs
recorded features
approximately a mile across.
A recent reprocessing
of the Mariner 10 data has resulted in this dramatic mosaic. Like
the Earth's Moon, Mercury's surface shows
the scars of impact cratering -
the smooth vertical band and patches visible above represent
regions where no image information is available.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Mercury
Publications with words: Mercury
See also: