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A-Mercury-Antoniadi Ridge.jpgThe Antoniadi Ridge of Mercury63 visiteMercury Data and Statistics:
Mass (kg) = 3.303e+23
Mass (Earth = 1) = 5,5271e-02
Equatorial radius = 2.439,7 Km
Equatorial radius (Earth = 1) = 3,8252e-01
Mean density (gm/cm^3) = 5,42
Mean distance from the Sun = 57.910.000 Km
Mean distance from the Sun (Earth = 1) = 0,3871
Rotational period (days) = 58,6462
Orbital period (days) = 87,969
Mean orbital velocity = 47,88 Km per second
Tilt of axis = 0,00°
Orbital inclination = 7,004°
Equatorial surface gravity (m/sec^2) = 2,78
Equatorial escape velocity = 4,25 Km per second
Magnitude (Vo) = - 1.9
Mean surface temperature = 179°C
Maximum surface temperature = 427°C
Minimum surface temperature = - 173°C
Atmospheric composition: Helium 42%, Sodium 42%, Oxygen 15%, Other 1%
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B-A-Mercury-PIA02961.jpgMercury, in HR54 visiteCaption NASA originale:"Taken only minutes after Mariner 10 made its closest approach to the planet Mercury on March 29, 1974, this is one of the highest resolution pictures obtained during the Mission. Craters as small as 150 mt (roughly 500 feet) across can be seen. The picture, taken from a distance of about 5900 Km (such as approx. 3700 miles), measures 50 by 40 Km (such as approx. 931 by 25 miles). The relativity level surface contrasts with the abundant relief seen in some close-up views on the opposite side of the planet. The long, narrow area of hills and scarps to the left resembles ridges in the mare of Earth's Moon. Abundant craters in various stages of degradation dot the surface".
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B-B-Mercury-PIA02947.jpgIntercrater Plain near Caloris Basin53 visiteCaption NASA originale:"Intercrater Plains and heavily cratered terrain typical of much of Mercury outside the area affected by the formation of the Caloris Basin are shown in this image (FDS 166738) taken during the spacecraft's second encounter with Mercury. Abundant shallow elongate craters and crater chains are present on the intercrater plains.
North is to the top of this image, centered at 56° South, 128° West and measuring about 400 Km across".
Note: The Mariner 10 mission, managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA's Office of Space Science, explored Venus in February 1974 on the way to 3 encounters with Mercury (March and September 1974 and March 1975). The spacecraft took more than 7000 photos of Mercury, Venus, the Earth and the Moon.
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B-Mercury-HD-PIA02447.jpgScarps confined to crater floors62 visiteCaption NASA originale:"The scarp in this 35-Km crater (See PIA02433 for the location in a larger view) forms a broad lobe 10 Km wide, whose southern end abuts against and follows closely the irregular contour of the crater wall. These structural relations suggest the scarp is a lava flow front rather than a fault.
This image (FDS 27471) was taken by Mariner 10 during its first encounter with Mercury".
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B-Mercury-PIA02240.jpgThe components of the surface of Mercury77 visiteCaption NASA originale:"Updated calibration and subsequent mosaicing have led to substantial improvements in the Mariner 10 color image data. This color composite was formed to especially highlight differences in opaque minerals (such as Ilmenite), Iron content and soil maturity.
K - Crater Kuiper shows color consistent with fresh material excavated from a subsurface unit that may have an "unusual" composition;
D - relatively dark and blue unit consistent with enhanced Titanium content;
B - bright red unit that may represent primitive crustal material
F - color unit that follows plains boundaries, interpreted as lava flows".
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B-Mercury-PIA02411.jpgMercury's "Kuiper Crater"60 visiteCaption NASA originale:"The Mariner 10 Television-Science Team has proposed the name "Kuiper" for this very conspicuous bright Crater (top center) on the rim of a larger older crater.
Prof. Gerard P. Kuiper, a pioneer in planetary astronomy and a member of the Mariner 10 TV team, died December 23, 1973, while the spacecraft was en route to Venus and Mercury. Mariner took this picture (FDS 27304) from about 88.450 Km (55.000 miles), some 2 1/2 hours before it passed Mercury on March 29, 1974. The bright-floored crater, 41 Km (25 miles) in diameter, is the center of a very large bright are which could be seen in pictures sent from Mariner 10 while Mercury was more than two million miles distant. The larger crater is 80 Km (50 miles) across".
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B-Mercury-PIA02414.jpgMercury or the Moon?56 visiteCaption NASA originale:"After passing Mercury the first time and making a trip around the Sun, Mariner 10 again flew by Mercury on September 21, 1974, at 1:59 PMPDT. This encounter brought the spacecraft in front of Mercury in the Southern Hemisphere.
Much of Mercury looks like the lunar highlands, a scene carved by billions of years of impact craters. This image (FDS 166724)was taken when Mariner 10 was near its closest approach to the planet during the second encounter, from about 50.000 Km. This image is found near the center of the area not imaged during the first encounter".
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B-Mercury-PIA02418.jpgMercury: the "outgoing" hemisphere53 visiteCaption NASA originale:"This mosaic shows the planet Mercury as seen by Mariner 10 as it sped away from the planet on March 29, 1974. The mosaic was made from over 140 individual TV frames taken about two hours after encounter, at a range of 37.300 miles (60.000 Km ). North is at top. The limb is at right, as is the illuminating sunlight. The equator crosses the planet about two-thirds of the way from the top of the disc. The terminator - such as the line-separating day from night - is about 190° West longitude. The planet shows a gibbous disc-more than half-illuminated. This hemisphere is dominated by smooth plains, rather than heavily cratered terrain, and resembles portions of the Moon's maria in general shape. Half of a very large, multi-ringed basin named Caloris Basin appears near the center of the disc near the terminator. Its surrounding mountain ring is 800 miles (1.300 Km) in diameter".
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B-Mercury-PIA02424.jpgA VERY LARGE crater on Mercury54 visiteCaption NASA originale:"This image (FDS 166), acquired during the spacecraft's first encounter with Mercury, features a 140 Km diameter crater and it's surrounding zone of secondary craters. The narrow width of the rim facies, the prominent subradial secondary crater chains and grooves are representative of the larger mercurian craters".
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B-Mercury-PIA02939.jpgDark-rimmed crater and extensive "Ejecta Blanket"53 visiteCaption NASA originale:"Mariner 10 took this picture (FDS 166840) from a distance of 63.400 Km (39.300 miles) about one hour after it passed under the South Pole of Mercury. The dark-rimmed crater at upper left is 67 Km (42 miles) in diameter. It is surrounded by an extensive ejecta blanket and exhibits a bright ray pattern, which extends into and beyond the larger crater (120 Km - or 75 miles) to its right and near the picture's center. The dark-rimmed crater is similar to crater Tycho on Earth's moon. The center of this picture is located 33° South Lat. and 158° West Long. North is to the top".
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B-Mercury-PIA02946.jpgCraters on the morning terminator...54 visiteCaption NASA originale:"As Mariner 10 passed by Mercury on its second encounter with the planet on September 21, 1974, this picture (FDS 166850) of a large circular (350 Km - or 220 mile diameter) basin was obtained near the morning terminator. The basin appears to have been flooded with the plain material and then subsequently cratered by numerous large events. Filling of the basin, presumably by lava flows analogous to those of the lunar maria, partially inundated small craters which had formed along the basin rim (lower left) and in some places overflowed the basin rim and spilled onto the surrounding terrain (top)".
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B-Mercury-PIA02948.jpgOld Basin Filled with by Smooth Plains (natural colors - elab. Lunexit)54 visiteCaption NASA:"Old basin, 190 km in diameter, filled by smooth plains at 43° South Latitude and 55° West Longitude. The basin's hummocky rim is partly degraded and cratered by later events. Mariner 10 frame 166607".MareKromium
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