Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Volcanic Terrain on Mercury

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 27, 2009 is “Volcanic Terrain on Mercury,” an image. It is credited to Credit: MESSENGER , NASA , JHU APL , CIW. The original explanation runs about 149 words.

Volcanic Terrain on Mercury
Credit: MESSENGER , NASA , JHU APL , CIW Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“Why are many large craters on Mercury relatively smooth inside? Recent images from the robotic MESSENGER spacecraft that flew by Mercury last October show previously uncharted regions of Mercury that have large craters with an internal smoothness similar to the maria on Earth’s own Moon.”

— APOD editors, May 27, 2009

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 27, 2009
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: MESSENGER , NASA , JHU APL , CIW
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 149 words

All of May 2009 → · 2009 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: May 27 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.