First Photo from Orbit: Mercury

[RT Atlanta]

Released today....



On first impression, it looks a lot like our Moon.

More information here:

http://www.space.com/11254-nasa-photos-mercury-orbit-messenger-spacecraft.html

[opihimoimoi]

1. KnR 3 Thanks...and whats those lines on the surface??

[Peregrine]

3. The ones radiating from the crater

are ejecta from the crater. However, there are areas where there are cracks in the crust due to shrinkage.

[opihimoimoi]

5. Never ever saw those before...like a spider almost.....

[Fumesucker]

6. The crater Tycho on the moon has a ray system very similar to that one.

You can see it in a decent pair of binoculars.

[opihimoimoi]

8. the #7 photo is the spider.....looks weird...

http://www.space.com/11072-photos-mercury-nasa-messenger-mission.html

[Fumesucker]

11. Ahh, that's the Caloris basin..

One of the largest impacts in the history of the solar system, so energetic the terrain on the other side of the planet was rearranged just by the shock waves.

[arcane1]

2. Nicely done, little guy!!

I mean Messenger, not the OP ;)

[liberal N proud]

4. The navel of Mercury

[formercia]

7. Ejecta comes from assholes

so do GOP talking points.

[MineralMan]

9. Thanks for posting! Awesome photos at the links.

[jimlup]

10. I claim that mercury can be differentiated from the moon since the craters appear

Shallower because the surface gravity is slightly higher.

[proud patriot]

12. COOL

[Orrex]

13. Has Jenny McCarthy claimed a link to autism yet?

[Odin2005]

14. !!!

:rofl:

[Odin2005]

15. Awesome! Thanks!