Posted on 04/18/2015 5:27:28 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Explanation: One of the largest young craters on Mercury, 114 kilometer (71 mile) diameter Hokusai crater's bright rays are known to extend across much of the planet. But this mosaic of oblique views focuses on Hokusai close up, its sunlit central peaks, terraced crater walls, and frozen sea of impact melt on the crater's floor. The images were captured by the MESSENGER spacecraft. The first to orbit Mercury, since 2011 MESSENGER has conducted scientific explorations, including extensive imaging of the Solar System's innermost planet. Now running out of propellant and unable to counter orbital perturbations caused by the Sun's gravity, MESSENGER is predicted to impact the surface of Mercury on April 30.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
[Credit: NASA, Johns Hopkins Univ. APL, Arizona State Univ., CIW]
Greatly resembles Copernicus and Tsiolkovsky, on our noble Moon, with a bit of the effusion volcanism of Schrödinger basin infilling the floor. All of these “late” morphologies, though this structure seems more weathered.
Great Crater of Mercury! The Hokusai ??
Almost makes me want to move there!
https://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/2013/10/27/electric-mercury/
Too bad that Messenger is going to crash on April 30.
Thank you for an interesting APOD, Mr. Civilizations.
Please. Not in front of the astronomers.
Thanks!
“Are those wings on your ankles, or are you just setting up your before-midnight exit plan?”
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