- NASA Home
- > Missions
- > MESSENGER
- > Multimedia
Featured Image
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
Mercury's Kidney
This scene is located in the southwestern portion of Caloris basin. The color image allows us to see the strong contrast in the nature of the rocks forming the interior and the exterior of the basin. The northern and eastern parts of the image are dominated by the light orange material that makes up the basin floor. Outside the basin (to the south and west), dark blue material is found. In the center of the image is a kidney-shapped depression that is surrounded by a halo of lighter material. This feature has been imaged at higher resolution and is thought to be a volcanic vent.
Date acquired: July 05, 2011
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington