MESSENGER Mercury Updates.

[3488]

Latest update.

Evidence for extentional faulting on Mercury outside of the basins.

First time extentional faulting has been seen on Mercury on the plains outside of the four bains: Caloris, Rembrandt, Raditladi & the newly discovered unnamed one.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
380 Days.
17 Hours.
25 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Among NASA Featured Images :

Global Map of Mercury

In December 2009, the first high-resolution global map of Mercury was made publicly available. These images are from MESSENGER, a NASA Discovery mission to conduct the first orbital study of the innermost planet, Mercury. Members of the MESSENGER team and experts from the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) used images from MESSENGER's three Mercury flybys and from the Mariner 10 mission in 1974-75 to create a global mosaic that covers 97.7% of Mercury's surface at a resolution of 500 meters/pixel (0.31 miles/pixel).


Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington/U. S. Geological Survey/Arizona State University

Is this the same as the one Zipi posted ?

Found it, here :
http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sci ... age_id=370

Sorry for spam, i use this one already in Celestia, thought it was new ..

oh, btw, in two days it will be 365 days before insertion burn :
- 367 days, today ..

 

[3488]

Ten newly found craters are named.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
364 Days.
2 Hours.
12 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[3488]

Newly discovered 290 KM wide double crater now named Rachmaninoff
.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
346 Days.
8 Hours.
42 Minutes.
30 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/ : Get Your Maps of Mercury!

Release Date: April 13, 2010
Topics: NAC, Named Craters

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
337 Days.
16 Hours.
50 Minutes.
00 Seconds.

 

[3488]

Thanks EarthlingX.

Could you e-mail me the maps as I cannot seem to open them.

Damn nuisance, but I would love to see them.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
337 Days.
3 Hours.
43 Minutes.
45 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Thanks EarthlingX.

Could you e-mail me the maps as I cannot seem to open them.

Damn nuisance, but I would love to see them.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
337 Days.
3 Hours.
43 Minutes.
45 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

Done.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
336 Days.
20 Hours.
45 Minutes.
00 Seconds.

 

[3488]

A rather nice article.

Interesting lava flooded ghost crater too.

How Mercury's Copland Crater got it's name.

208 KM wide Copland Crater with 30 KM wide newly discovered volcanic vent to the west. Encounter #3.

An enlarged crop I made of the 208 KM wide lava flooded ghost crater Copland Crater.

Was Copland Crater flooded by lava from the newly discovered volcanic vent during encounter #2 & imaged in detail for the first time during encounter #3? Can see wall breaches at the 12 to 1 O'clock positions from the intercaret lava plains, so perhaps not.

Copland Crater near Hermean limb during encounter #2.

Enlarged sharpened crop from above.

Enlarged crop of 250 KM wide area to the east of Copland Crater during encounter #3.
A transition from youger lava plains & lava flooded ghost craters, one approx 100 KM wide clearly seen, to more primitive generally cratered terrain.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
323 Days.
5 Hours.
38 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[3488]

Northern Hemisphere 95 KM wide Hokusai Crater, from MESSENGER's encounter #2 during the outbound phase of said encounter.

This crater looks remarkably like Copernicus Crater on the moon, with central peaks & terraced walls. Also Copernicus Crater is only 2 KM smaller @ 93 KM wide than Hokusai Crater.

95 KM wide Hokusai Crater reprojected.

Full size contrast enhanced crop,

Hokusai Crater seen in actual profile from MESSENGER.

Hokusai Crater actual size crop.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
298 Days.
6 Hours.
48 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[bearack]

Andrew,

This is an "out of the box" question, but I was wondering if there was a site out there that provides a laymen’s comparison of size of these extraterrestrial regions. An example of what I'm talking about is taking the image above and placing an outline of like Texas on it, showing the size of the area compared to something us homers are familiar with. Just to get a concept of how big or small these extraterrestrial bodies are.

Just a random thought and probably not appropriate to be asked in this thread, however, it came across my cranium whilst reading some of the new entries in here.

 

[3488]

Hi Tim,

Good point & it is fine to ask that on here.

The crater above is 95 KM / 58 Miles wide.

The scene with the crater in profile is approx ten times that or approx 950 KM / 580 miles wide. So I think that is approx the size of Texas.

This week's update.

133 KM wide Picasso Crater.
The pits are suggestive of a volcanic nature, thought to be when magma withdrew forming lava tubes & caverns & the roof (crater floor) collapsed.

Crop of Picasso Crater.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
293 Days.
0 Hours.
41 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[3488]

Thank you very much to EarthlingX for the reminder on the MESSENGER site. I am very grateful indeed.

Homer Basin, Titian Crater & Dominici Crater.



Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
281 Days.
4 Hours.
2 Minutes.
30 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

Thank you Andrew, for your posts full of images, your insightful comments and inspiration.
I was just passing by, thought you might like it

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
280 Days.
20 Hours.
04 Minutes.
00 Seconds.

 

[3488]

80 KM wide Geddes Crater.

Geddes Crater first seen under more favourable lighting conditions under the light of a lowering Hermian late afternoon Sun in 1974 by Mariner 10 with the Antoniadi Dorsum Rupes running through, was seen to have a curious pit, perhaps the first hint of Mercury having volcanic vents.

Roll onto October 2008, MESSENGER views Geddes Crater again, with both the NAC & WAC on MDIS (Mercury Dual Imaging System), under a high sun close to Hermian noon, showing a scene not quite as easy to see as Mariner 10's due to the high sun, the NAC still showed greater detail when contrast enhanced & the WAC used multispectral filters to reveal what appears to be pyroclastic volcanic deposits around the pit first seen by Mariner 10.

Mercury is showing more & more signs of being volcanically active in the past, the more the planet is surveyed.



Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
268 Days.
04 Hours.
36 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[AdmiralRitt]

Like all here, I am eager to see the craft create a detailed analysis of Mercury.
I find it intrigueing that there is so much evidence of volcanic activity and ridge forming. From the surface analysis so far it seems that metallic compounds are there in great quantities.
If this surface is in fact much richer in minerals than the moon
it might be that it will become the 2nd most useful world for development of advanced space infrastructure.

I am posititing a near future where mobile factories use solar power to run arc-smelters to create ingots of titanium, vanadium,molybdenum and are shot via slow boat (solar powered Ion Drive) to Earth-Mars orbits.
Obcourse colonization maybe possible there, but somehow I dont picture living there being too popular (see
film OUTLAND)

 

[MeteorWayne]

Mercury is not at all a good place for mining. It's far too close to the sun (hence in it's gravity well) to make any mining worth the effort or expense. Not to mention the extreme environment. Look at how long it has taken for MESSENGER to even be in a position to enter orbit around the planet, and what maneuvers were required to lose the energy of starting from earth. Coming back is far more energy intensive and difficult.

 

[3488]

It is quire a climb from approx 0.3 AU to 1.0 AU against the Sun's gravity. Almost certainly an assist from Venus would be required for an Earthbound craft from Mercury.

I think unmanned mining machinery would be possible with larger return to Earth 'sample' return type craft carrying mined cargo, but even that would be difficult with current means, although at least unmanned craft does not have to carry all the baggage that crewed craft would have to have.

I have cropped out & sharpened enlarged the 80 KM wide Geddes Crater with the curious pit.

Below a sharpened enlarged crop of Geddes Crater with the pyroclastic deposits in yellow in & around the pit on the floor of 80 KM Geddes Crater.

Mariner 10 view of Geddes Crater with the Antoniadi Dorsum Rupes.

When MESSENGER finally arrives into Hermcentric orbit in March 2011, Geddes Crater will be seen from very much closer in & perhaps actual volcanic vents may be seen inside the pit?????

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
263 Days.
07 Hours.
55 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[EarthlingX]

It is quire a climb from approx 0.3 AU to 1.0 AU against the Sun's gravity. Almost certainly an assist from Venus would be required for an Earthbound craft from Mercury.

I think unmanned mining machinery would be possible with larger return to Earth 'sample' return type craft carrying mined cargo, but even that would be difficult with current means, although at least unmanned craft does not have to carry all the baggage that crewed craft would have to have.

I can agree with that, and if there are more advanced engines and infrastructure which supports more frequent and cheaper launches, accessibility to various interested entities is much easier, and much more possible. Government financed involvement in such cases means that data is available to public, and more eyes see more
It might be a bit big topic for this thread though ..

I have cropped out & sharpened enlarged the 80 KM wide Geddes Crater with the curious pit.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee18 ... largem.jpg

Below a sharpened enlarged crop of Geddes Crater with the pyroclastic deposits in yellow in & around the pit on the floor of 80 KM Geddes Crater.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee18 ... ctralM.jpg

Mariner 10 view of Geddes Crater with the Antoniadi Dorsum Rupes.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee18 ... iner10.jpg

Just in case ..

When MESSENGER finally arrives into Hermcentric orbit in March 2011, Geddes Crater will be seen from very much closer in & perhaps actual volcanic vents may be seen inside the pit?????

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
263 Days.
07 Hours.
55 Minutes.
15 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

You think something might still be cooking in there ?

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
258 Days.
04 Hours.
57 Minutes.
00 Seconds.

 

[3488]

Thank you very much for you above post & question EarthlingX.

I do like your question.

My opinion & I state that it is an opinion, is that I think Geddes Crater volcanism has ceased. However I reckon it has been active till fairly geologically recent times as the pyroclastic deposits are still very distinct, i.e they have not been gardened into the regolith by micrometeoroid impacts. Wayne will probably know more than me on impact weathering processes, but

I can see the deposits look distinct & the floor of Geddes Crater within the pyroclastic deposit area is not heavily cratered, or at least at that resolution. We'll know a lot more when Hermcentric orbit is achieved from next March. High resolution views inside that pit, are a huge must IMO.

The 75 KM wide shield volcano seen during the first pass, (below) I think, if anything may still be 'cooking' & is also a major must regarding highest possible resolution imagery & spectral studies.


25 KM wide Summit caldera of 75 KM wide shield volcano as seen in S W Caloris Basin during Enc #1, January 2008.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
257 Days.
04 Hours.
11 Minutes.
30 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[kg]

...My opinion & I state that it is an opinion, is that I think Geddes Crater volcanism has ceased. However I reckon it has been active till fairly geologically recent times as the pyroclastic deposits are still very distinct, i.e they have not been gardened into the regolith by micrometeoroid impacts. Wayne will probably know more than me on impact weathering processes, but I can see the deposits look distinct & the floor of Geddes Crater within the pyroclastic deposit area is not heavily cratered, or at least at that resolution....

Andrew Brown.

Is the Geddes Crater an impact crater with volconism happening at the bottom or is the whole crater volcanic in nature? Does the impact weathering process on Mercury happen at a different rate than say the moon because of that planets position in the solarsystem? It was mentioned earlyer here that objects need to lose alot of momentum to reach Mercury.

 

[nimbus]

You're probably thinking of comments about spacecraft, where the objective is matching Mercury's orbit. Impactors only need to intersect.

 

[3488]

Hi kg,

Great question.

It is general concensus that the pit floored craters on Mercury are formed when magma is withdrawn from a magma chamber and the surface above collapses. Magma can refill that chamber later causing further eruptions, so there may be small cones in the pit???

Geddes Crater is certainly a type of the above, but the crater itself certainly looks like an impact crater, that may have formed on a thinner region of crust, i.e the impacter struck a location with an underground magma chamber.

That seems to fit Geddes Crater, the crater being 80 KM wide with a pit approx 30 KM wide. Geddes Crater has terracing similar to Copernicus Crater on the Moon as well as other impact craters seen elsewhere on Mercury, Moon, Mars & the moons of the outer planets.

One clue may be the fact Antoniadi Dorsum a rupes runs through Geddes Crater, these rupes, some with cliffs approaching 2,000 metres in height are thought to have formed when the core of Mercury cooled a little & started to shrink, causing cracks in the crust. Perhaps a link there too???

Fortunately Geddes Crater is at 27 degrees North, where MESSENGER will be closing in on periherm (periherm @ 200 KM will be at 60 degrees north, apoherm @ 15,200 KM at 60 degrees south). I will put in a request that Geedes Crater gets the maximum resolution coverage possible.

The ESA BepiColombo MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter, JAXA are providing a Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter) to follow MESSENGER, MPO will orbit Mercury in a much tighter 400 KM by 1,400 KM orbit with periherm & apoherm over the equator.

Countdown to Orbital Insertion around Mercury.
256 Days.
08 Hours.
11 Minutes.
45 Seconds.

Andrew Brown.

 

[MeteorWayne]

New results from MESSENGER:

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/m ... 00715.html

Mercury is wracked by intense magnetic disturbances more extreme than any on Earth, new research suggests.

The small, rocky planet also experienced volcanic activity for much longer than once thought, according to several new studies based on observations during the latest flyby of the small, rocky planet by a NASA spacecraft.

The new findings come from data collected by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, which unearthed even more secrets about the closest planet to the sun during its third and last flyby of Mercury last September. To start, the probe discovered Mercury's magnetic field, or "magnetosphere," apparently releases energy in violent magnetic disturbances called substorms far more extreme than comparable ones seen on Earth, which include spikes in the size and intensity here of colorful auroras and the outermost Van Allen radiation belt.


The scientists detailed their new findings in three papers appearing online July 15 in the journal Science.

 

[nimbus]

One of the articles..
10.1126/science.1159314

I wonder if any of it's visible, to our eyes.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Unless you are a subscriber, I don't believe the articles can be read online, though there may be abstracts...