First Glimpse

Several prominent impact craters are among the features in the first color image of Mercury snapped from orbit around the planet. The MESSENGER spacecraft took the picture on March 29, just 12 days after it entered orbit. The most prominent crater, Debussy, is about 50 miles in diameter. Its bright appearance and the prominent 'rays' of material streaking away from it indicate that the crater is quite young. A smaller crater to its left, near the edge of the image, shows mysterious rays of dark material, which geologists have yet to fully understand. The colors in this image do not reflect what the eye would see. MESSENGER's cameras see in wavelengths that are invisible to the human eye, which are combined with visible wavelengths to produce color images. The pictures enhance subtle differences in color, making it easier for scientists to explain the geologic history and processes at Mercury's surface. [NASA/JHUAPL/Carnegie Inst. of Washington]