Enwonwu: a young Mercurian Crater (Natural Colors; credits: Lunar Explorer Italia)

The feature indicated by the white arrow in this NAC image is the newly named crater Enwonwu (see also PIA11762). It is named in honor of Benedict (Ben) Chukwukadibia Enwonwu, the 20th Century modernist Nigerian sculptor and painter.

Enwonwu Crater displays a Central Peak and a set of bright rays emanating from the Crater Rim. The rays cross the surrounding surface and neighboring craters, indicating that Enwonwu Crater was formed comparatively recently in Mercury’s history. The brightness of the rays also suggests relative youth, as over time rays darken and disappear on Mercury's Surface.
These relationships provide useful indicators for determining the relative ages of features and the sequence of events that have shaped the Surface of Mercury.

Date Acquired: January 14, 2008
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 108829024
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Resolution: 590 meters/pixel (0,37 miles/pixel)
Scale: Enwonwu Crater is about 38 Km (approx. 24 miles) in diameter
Spacecraft Altitude: about 23.000 Km (approx. 14.300 miles)