Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Unknown Dark Material on Mercury

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 6, 2009 is “Unknown Dark Material on Mercury,” an image. It is credited to Credit: MESSENGER , NASA , JHU APL , CIW. The original explanation runs about 162 words.

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

From the explanation

“What is that strange material on Mercury? When flying by Mercury last October, the robotic MESSENGER spacecraft imaged much of the solar system’s innermost planet in unprecedented detail.”

— APOD editors, July 6, 2009

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
July 6, 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 162 words

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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.