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Mercury: Debussy Crater in Red, Blue, Green (NASA, MESSENGER, 03/21/12)

Editor's note: scrolling through some great new images from MESSENGER's extended mission around Mercury, and this is one of the best I saw. More to come soon!

 

This color image of Mercury's limb captures Debussy, a crater 80 km (50 mi.) in diameter, as well as some if its extensive rays. The crater and its rays appear brighter than the surrounding material because the crater is relatively young and the excavated materials have not been substantially darkened by space weathering.

 

Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington

 

Original image:

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multimedia/messenger...

 

More about the MESSENGER mission to Mercury:

 

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/main/index.html

messenger.jhuapl.edu/index.php

 

For information regarding the use of MESSENGER images, see the image use policy:

messenger.jhuapl.edu/the_mission/image_use.html

 

View the Mercury MESSENGER photoset:

www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/sets/72157626546158766/

 

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These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights please visit: www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelin...

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Uploaded on April 20, 2012
Taken on April 18, 2012