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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Colors of Mercury
NASA ^ | March 01, 2013 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 03/01/2013 9:20:56 PM PST by SunkenCiv

Explanation: The colors of the solar system's innermost planet are enhanced in this tantalizing view, based on global image data from the Mercury-orbiting MESSENGER spacecraft. Human eyes would not discern the clear color differences but they are real none the less, indicating distinct chemical, mineralogical, and physical regions across the cratered surface. Notable at the upper right, Mercury's large, circular, tan colored feature known as the Caloris basin was created by an impacting comet or asteroid during the solar system's early years. The ancient basin was subsequently flooded with lava from volcanic activity, analogous to the formation of the lunar maria. Color contrasts also make the light blue and white young crater rays, material blasted out by recent impacts, easy to follow as they extend across a darker blue, low reflectance terrain.

March 01, 2013

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; catastrophism; mercury; science
[Credit: NASA / JHU Applied Physics Lab / Carnegie Inst. Washington ]

1 posted on 03/01/2013 9:21:08 PM PST by SunkenCiv
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; Convert from ECUSA; ...

2 posted on 03/01/2013 9:22:43 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: 75thOVI; agrace; aimhigh; Alice in Wonderland; AndrewC; aragorn; aristotleman; Avoiding_Sulla; ...



3 posted on 03/01/2013 9:28:50 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Fascinating.


4 posted on 03/01/2013 9:31:37 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

All this time I thought mercury was silver colored. ;’)


5 posted on 03/02/2013 8:54:25 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Cool pic. I’m so glad they named the planet after my favorite dime.


6 posted on 03/02/2013 9:31:01 AM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: SunkenCiv

Colors of Freddie Mercury

7 posted on 03/02/2013 10:49:02 AM PST by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: SunkenCiv

It looks as if all the planets and moons and asteroids are covered with impact craters.

That is a beautiful image.


8 posted on 03/02/2013 12:02:03 PM PST by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

They are indeed, except for the gas giants, which may or may not have some solid core way down under all that gas.


9 posted on 03/02/2013 10:53:28 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv

We may never know until we invent a spacecraft that can survive and take topographical pictures in other spectra inside huge clouds of violently swirling, corrosive, toxic gases.

It would be very nice to see if there are mountains of Jupiter and seas of Neptune.


10 posted on 03/03/2013 8:05:33 AM PST by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

Perhaps Jupiter could be mapped using a pair of satellites and the Jovian radio noises and magnetic fields.


11 posted on 03/03/2013 9:52:08 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Romney would have been worse, if you're a dumb ass.)
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To: SunkenCiv
That would be too much finesse, too elegant, too refined.

I like the brute strength and ignorance approach, obviously.     :P tongue 

12 posted on 03/03/2013 6:01:47 PM PST by TheOldLady
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To: SunkenCiv

13 posted on 03/03/2013 6:17:05 PM PST by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet - Mater tua caligas exercitus gerit ;-{)
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