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| Piú votate - Mercury |
ZZ-Mercury-Rupes-PIA11012.jpgMercurian Rupes74 visiteGiant scarps (cliffs), called rupes (see PIA10609), are believed to have formed when Mercury’s interior cooled and the entire Planet shrank slightly as a result. This figure, recently published in Science magazine, shows one of these scarps (white arrows) that is about 270 Km (approx. 170 miles) long.
This portion of Mercury’s surface was seen during the Mariner 10 flybys, but this scarp, despite its large size, was not visible in the Mariner 10 photos because the Sun was nearly overhead at the time and, consequently, the scarp did not cast a discernable shadow.
In contrast, MESSENGER acquired a mosaic of this area (see PIA10605) before the spacecraft’s closest approach to the Planet, when this portion of the Surface was near the Terminator, the line between the sunlit dayside and the dark night side of the Planet. Such lighting produced long shadows, enabling this rupes to be recognized for the first time.
Date Acquired: January 14, 2008
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): Mosaic of images from 108821370, 108821375, 108821397 and 108821402
Instrument: A: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)MareKromium
(3 voti)
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ZQ-Mercury-PIA11025.jpgWrinkle-Ridge Rings on Mercury and Mars63 visitePlanetary scientists commonly compare and contrast the geologic features found on different planetary bodies, to learn about the similar processes that operated throughout the Solar System and to understand how each planet is different and unique. This figure, recently published in Science magazine, shows wrinkle-ridge rings on both Mercury (upper image) and Mars (lower image) that look quite similar. Wrinkle ridges arrayed in such a ring are interpreted to trace the rim of an impact crater that was nearly or completely flooded by lavas prior to ridge formation. Wrinkle ridges are created by forces that compress the crust horizontally.
A buried crater rim can concentrate the near-surface forces and cause the wrinkle ridges to form a ring. The presence of wrinkle-ridge rings is thus good evidence that volcanism helped to shape the surfaces of both Mars and Mercury.
Date Acquired: January 14, 2008
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): A: 108826972
Instrument: A: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Mars Image: B: Mars Express High-Resolution Stereo Camera nadir image h2660_0001
MareKromium
(3 voti)
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ZP-Mercury-PIA10394.jpgFirst "Laser Altimetry" for Mercury77 visiteCaption NASA:"At top center is the first Laser Altimeter Profile of Mercury's topography, taken by MESSENGER's Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) instrument during the Spacecraft's flyby of Mercury on January 14, 2008.
At bottom center is the MLA ground projected onto a mosaic of radar images obtained by Harmon and others at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico.
The interval during which MESSENGER was sufficiently close to the Planet to be within measurement range of the MLA was when the Spacecraft was on the night side, so there are no corresponding images of this Region acquired by MESSENGER during this flyby; this Region was also unseen by Mariner 10.
The length of the profile is about 3200 Km (about 2000 miles), and the dynamic range in elevation across the profile is about 5 Km (about 3 miles). The profile sampled numerous craters and basins. The vertical exaggeration in the figure is equal to 105:1.
At top left is a photograph of the MLA flight unit".MareKromium
(3 voti)
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ZO-Mercury13_Messenger-209132main_color_mercury.jpgMercury in False Colors (credits: NASA)76 visiteOne week ago, the MESSENGER Spacecraft transmitted to Earth the first HR image of Mercury by a spacecraft in over 30 years, since the 3 Mercury flybys of Mariner 10 in 1974 and 1975. MESSENGER's Wide Angle Camera (WAC), part of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS), is equipped with 11 narrow-band color filters, in contrast to the two visible-light filters and one ultraviolet filter that were on Mariner 10's vidicon camera. By combining images taken through different filters in the visible and infrared, the MESSENGER data allow Mercury to be seen in a variety of high-resolution color views not previously possible. MESSENGER’s eyes can see far beyond the color range of the human eye, and the colors seen in the accompanying image are somewhat different from what a human would see.
The color image was generated by combining three separate images taken through WAC filters sensitive to light in different wavelengths; filters that transmit light with wavelengths of 1000, 700, and 430 nnmts (infrared, far red, and violet, respectively) were placed in the red, green, and blue channels, respectively, to create this image. The human eye is sensitive across only the wavelength range 400 to 700 nanometers. Creating a false-color image in this way accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface that cannot be seen in the single-filter, black-and-white images released last week.
MareKromium
(3 voti)
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ZZ-Mercury-Limb-208882.jpgMercury's Horizon (HR)88 visiteJust 9 minutes after MESSENGER passed 200 Km (about 124 miles) above the surface of Mercury – its closest distance to the Planet during the January 14, 2008, flyby – the probe’s Wide Angle Camera (WAC) on the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) snapped this image.
The WAC is equipped with 11 different narrow-band filters, and this image was taken in filter 7, which is sensitive to light near the red end of the visible spectrum (750 nm). This view, also imaged through the remaining 10 WAC filters, is from the first set of images taken following MESSENGER's closest approach with Mercury.
The image shows Mercury's surface as seen from a low viewing angle, looking over the surface and off the limb of the Planet on the right side of the image.
The cratered terrain in the image is on the side of Mercury unseen by spacecraft prior to this MESSENGER flyby.
This scene was imaged at multiple viewing angles as MESSENGER sped away from Mercury, and these multiple views of the same surface features from different perspectives and in different colors will be used to help understand the properties of Mercury's surface.MareKromium
(3 voti)
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DiscoveryScarp-PIA02446.jpgThe "Discovery Scarp"61 visiteCaption NASA originale:"One of the most prominent lobate scarps (Discovery Scarp), photographed by Mariner 10 during it's first encounter with Mercury, is located at the center of this image (extending from the top to near bottom). This scarp is about 350 Km long and transects two craters 35 and 55 Km in diameter. The maximum height of the scarp south of the 55-Km crater is about 3 Km. Notice the shallow older crater (near the center of the image) perched on the crest of the scarp. (FDS 17389 and 27399)".
(3 voti)
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Craters-PIA02429.jpgRayed Craters on Mercury63 visiteCaption NASA originale:"These two prominent rayed craters are located at 40° North and 124° West. Bright halos extend as far as 2 crater diameters beyond crater rims. Individual rays extend from halo. Bright streak extending from middle top to lower is unrelated to the two craters. Craters are 40 Km in diameter. This image (FDS 275) was taken during the spacecraft's first encounter with Mercury".
(3 voti)
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B-Mercury-HD-PIA02447.jpgScarps confined to crater floors68 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".
(3 voti)
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B-Mercury-PIA02411.jpgMercury's "Kuiper Crater"65 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".
(3 voti)
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Mercury 1.jpgMercury photo-mosaic from Mariner 1061 visite...sarà di gran lunga maggiore (a livello previsionale e sulla base delle stime fatte sulla Terra, sperimentalmente) di quanto non lo sarebbe stata se la parte rocciosa di Mercurio si fosse invece venuta a trovare connessa indissolubilmente ad un nucleo esterno totalmente ghiacciato e solidificato (ossìa con il mantello, il nucleo esterno ed il nucleo interno del Pianeta UNITI a formare un "pezzo unico").
(3 voti)
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ZZ-Mercury-Craters-Unnamed_Crater-PIA18246-PCF-LXTT-IPF.jpgIntersecting Craters (Absolute Natural Colors - Credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)83 visiteRunning diagonally though the scene (which is approx. 14 Km - such as about 8,69 miles - across), and running from the upper left (Sx) to the lower right (Dx) corner of the frame, you can see the Wall of an ancient Impact Ccrater that encompasses another Impact Crater known as Purcell. Purcell Crater and this other one (both quite large) are both pretty ancient, as evidenced by the numerous small Impact Craters that cover them, including their Walls. Furthermore, this High-Resolution Image taken by the NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft on April, 11, 2014, also reveals how the small Impact Craters that formed on the Wall display some differences from the ones which formed on the Flat neighboring Surfaces. Frankly speaking, we, as IPF, honestly believe that the differences (mostly in shape) existing among these smaller Impact Craters that NASA is talknig about, may simply (and reasonalbly) be due to different Angles of Impact, rather than their age and/or the size of the Impactors that created them.
Date acquired: April, 11th, 2014
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 39535979
Image ID: 6104625
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 81,25° North
Center Longitude: 212,20° East
Solar Incidence Angle: 81,4° (meaning that the Sun, at the time that the picture was taken, was about 8,6° above the imaged Local Mercurian Horizon)
Emission Angle: 36,3°
Sun-Mercury-Messenger (or "Phase") Angle: 82,5
This picture (which is an Original NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft's b/w and Map-Projected image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 18246) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, Gamma corrected, magnified to aid the visibility of the details and then colorized in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Surface of Mercury), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Minerals) present on the Surface of Mercury, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromium
(2 voti)
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ZZ-Mercury-Craters-To_Ngoc_Van_Crater-PIA15201-PCF-LXTT-IPF-01.jpgTo Ngoc Van (EDM - Absolute Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga/Lunar Explorer Italia/Italian Planetary Foundation)105 visiteIn this beautiful Extra Detail Magnification (or "EDM" for short) which has been taken from a picture obtained by the NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft on November, 8, 2011, we can see, once again, prominent, near the center of the degraded Impact Crater To Ngoc Van, an interesting (and really irregularly shaped) Collapse Pit (approx. 20 Km - such as about 12,42 miles - across). As a matter of fact, many samples of Impact Craters with one (or more) Collapse Pit/s located on their Floors, have already been identified across the Mercurian Surface and - most likely - they all formed as a consequence of (extremely ancient) phenomena of Explosive Volcanism. To be more specific, we, as IPF, do believe that the aforementioned phenomena of Explosive Volcanism that caused the formation of Pits inside a great number of Mercurian Impact Craters, was, most likely, triggered by the Impacts themselves and the subsequent powerful Shock-Waves that deeply altered the Sub-Surface of a Planet which - at the time when most of the Impacts took place - was still Geoilogically Active (we could say that, in those - remote - times when its Surface was so heavily battered, Mercury was, however, still "alive" - at least from a Geological point of view).
Date acquired: November, 8th, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 229277972
Image ID: 988708
Instrument: Wide Angle Camera (WAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 52,89° North
Center Longitude: 248,60° East
Solar Incidence Angle: 60,3° (meaning that the Sun, at the time that the picture was taken, was about 29,7° above the imaged Local Mercurian Horizon)
Emission Angle: 23,0°
Sun-Mercury-Messenger (or "Phase") Angle: 83,4°
This picture (which is a crop taken from an Original NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft's b/w and Map-Projected image published on the NASA - Planetary Photojournal with the ID n. PIA 15201) has been additionally processed, contrast enhanced, Gamma corrected, magnified to aid the visibility of the details and then colorized in Absolute Natural Colors (such as the colors that a human eye would actually perceive if someone were onboard the NASA - MESSENGER Spacecraft and then looked outside, towards the Surface of Mercury), by using an original technique created - and, in time, dramatically improved - by the Lunar Explorer Italia Team. Different colors, as well as different shades of the same color, mean, among other things, the existence of different Elements (Minerals) present on the Surface of Mercury, each having a different Albedo (---> Reflectivity) and Chemical Composition.MareKromium
(2 voti)
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