Date acquired: July 31, 2011
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 220635824
Image ID: 575089
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: -28.30°
Center Longitude: 146.9° E
Resolution: 139 meters/pixel
Scale: Pahinui crater is 54 km (34 mi.) in diameter
Incidence Angle: 77.3°
Emission Angle: 22.5°
Phase Angle: 99.9°

Of Interest: One of nine newly named craters, Pahinui crater has intriguing pits surrounding its central peak. Pahinui crater is named for the Hawaiian musician Gabby Pahinui, a key figure in the 1970s Hawaiian Renaissance and master of the slack-key guitar, a style that originated in Hawaii.

This image was acquired as part of MDIS's high-resolution surface morphology base map. The surface morphology base map covers more than 99% of Mercury's surface with an average resolution of 200 meters/pixel. Images acquired for the surface morphology base map typically are obtained at off-vertical Sun angles (i.e., high incidence angles) and have visible shadows so as to reveal clearly the topographic form of geologic features.

The MESSENGER spacecraft is the first ever to orbit the planet Mercury, and the spacecraft's seven scientific instruments and radio science investigationare 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.