Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Degas Ray Crater on Mercury

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 8, 1996 is “Degas Ray Crater on Mercury,” an image. It is credited to Degas Ray Crater on Mercury Credit: Mariner 10 Project NASA,. The original explanation runs about 92 words.

Degas Ray Crater on Mercury
Credit: Degas Ray Crater on Mercury Credit: Mariner 10 Project NASA, Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Explanation : Like the Earth’s Moon, Mercury is scarred with craters, testifying to an intense bombardment during the early history of the Solar System. In 1974, the Mariner 10 spacecraft surveyed this innermost planet up close, producing the only detailed images of its tortured surface.”

— APOD editors, December 8, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 8, 1996
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Degas Ray Crater on Mercury Credit: Mariner 10 Project NASA,
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 92 words

All of December 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

The Moon

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: December 8 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.