Degas and Friends

Though many craters are visible in this enhanced color view of Mercury's limb from NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft, Degas gets noticed. Located near the center of the image, the distinctive blue color of the low-reflectance material associated with Degas contrasts with the surrounding terrain and neighboring craters. View these previously posted web images to see Degas in high-resolution with the Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) or in high-resolution color with the WAC.

This image was acquired on Oct. 6, 2012 as a targeted observation that occurred simultaneously with a measurement by the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS). Targeted observations that involve both MDIS and MASCS facilitate combining the data from both instruments to understand the color and reflectance of small-scale geologic features on Mercury's surface.