Date acquired: December 16, 2013
Image Mission Elapsed Time (MET): 29538349
Image ID: 5393956
Instrument: Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) of the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS)
Center Latitude: 8.18°
Center Longitude: 33.51° E
Resolution: 32 meters/pixel
Scale: The small crater towards the left of the image is 2.2 km (1.4 miles) in diameter.
Incidence Angle: 74.6°
Emission Angle: 7.9°
Phase Angle: 66.7°

Of Interest:This image features the northeast corner of Seuss crater. Named after the Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, this image reveals a close up of impact melt on the crater floor and hollows inside the crater. The crater rim's fresh and crisp appearance indicates that this is a relatively young crater.

This image was acquired as a high-resolution targeted observation. Targeted observations are images of a small area on Mercury's surface at resolutions much higher than the 200-meter/pixel morphology base map. It is not possible to cover all of Mercury's surface at this high resolution, but typically several areas of high scientific interest are imaged in this mode each week.

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.