Date acquired: January 16, 2012
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 235169452, 235423824
Image ID: 1271337, 1283624
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -38.87° -39.34°
Center Longitude: 26.48° E 26.44° E
Resolution: 176 meters/pixel 187 meters/pixel
Scale: Joplin crater is 135 km (84 mi) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 75.2° 67.9°
Emission Angle: 21.6° 33.4°
Phase Angle: 80.3° 92.6°

Of Interest: Joplin crater stands out brilliantly in 3D. With red-cyan glasses, you get an amazing view of Joplin's central peak, which rises around 1 km (0.6 mi.) above the crater floor. This picture has been rotated so that north is toward the bottom to enhance the 3D effect.

This image was acquired as part of MDIS's high-resolution stereo imaging campaign. Images from the stereo imaging campaign are used in combination with the surface morphology base map or the albedo base map to create high-resolution stereo views of Mercury's surface, with an average resolution of 200 meters/pixel. Viewing the surface under the same Sun illumination conditions but from two or more viewing angles enables information about the small-scale topography of Mercury's surface to be obtained.

The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigation are unraveling the history and evolution of the Solar System's innermost planet. During the first two years of orbital operations, MESSENGER acquired over 150,000 images and extensive other data sets. MESSENGER is capable of continuing orbital operations until early 2015.

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

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