Features of Soseki Crater (Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)

This Image-Mosaic shows part of the Mercurian Crater Soseki, in the North/West. A deep Scarp cuts through several Impact Craters visible on the right side of the image, though it does not stand out in this high-Sun view. The bright band crossing from upper right to lower left, is a Ray coming from the Crater Hokusai, which is located far away, to the North/East. Hokusai's Rays overprint older Impact Craters and cover a large portion of the whole Planet.
This image was acquired as a High-Resolution Targeted Color Observation. Targeted Color Observations are images of a small area on Mercury's Surface at resolutions higher than the 1-kilometer per pixel "Color Base Map". During MESSENGER's one-year Primary Mission, hundreds of Targeted Color Observations were obtained. During MESSENGER's extended mission, HR Targeted Color Observations are more rare, as the Color Base Map is covering Mercury's Northern Hemisphere with the highest-resolution color images that are possible.

Date acquired: April 09, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 210807763, 210807759, 210807755
Image ID: 108194, 108193, 108192
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
WAC filters: 9, 7, 6 (996, 748, 433 nanometers) in red, green, and blue
Center Latitude: 36,39° North
Center Longitude: 323,5° East
Resolution: 302 meters/pixel
Scale: the Unnamed Impact Crater with the bright Floor (visible in the upper left corner of the frame) is about 32 Km in diameter (such as approx. 20 miles)
Solar Incidence Angle: 37,5° (meaning that the Sun was about 52,5° above the imaged Local Horizon at the time that the pictures were taken)
Emission Angle: 11,2°
Sun-Mercury-MESSENGER (or "Phase") Angle: 48,7°