NASA Photo Journal

Home » Astronomy Information » NASA Photo Journal

Mercury's Cratered Terrain

Mercury's Cratered Terrain

Cratered terrain very similar to that on the Moon is shown in this TV photo of Mercury taken by NASAs Mariner 10. Numerous small craters and linear grooves radial to the crater can be seen.

Read More

Outgoing Hemisphere

Outgoing Hemisphere

This mosaic, made from over 140 individual TV frames taken about two hours after encounter, shows the planet Mercury as seen by NASAs Mariner 10 as it sped away from the planet on March 29, 1974.

Read More

High Resolution View of Mercury

High Resolution View of Mercury

NASAs Mariner 10 spacecraft was coaxed into a third and final encounter with Mercury in March of 1975. This is one of the highest resolution images of Mercury acquired by the spacecraft.

Read More

Hero Rupes Scarp

Hero Rupes Scarp

After passing Mercury the first time and making a trip around the Sun, NASAs Mariner 10 again flew by Mercury on Sept. 21, 1974. This encounter brought the spacecraft in front of Mercury in the southern hemisphere.

Read More

Mercury's Heavily Cratered Surface

Mercury's Heavily Cratered Surface

As NASAs Mariner 10 approached Mercury at nearly seven miles per second on March 29, 1974, its TV camera took this picture from an altitude of 35,000 kilometers (21,700 miles) The picture shows a heavily-cratered surface with many low hills.

Read More