NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Different Strokes

The image above shows the complex crater Debussy, known for its bright rays that almost completely obscure the terrain surrounding the crater. The bright appearance of Debussy and its rays suggests that this crater is relatively young, as rays tend to fade over time. In addition to contributing to our understanding of relative ages, crater rays are also useful for understanding how cratering processes operate on Mercury.

Date acquired: August 28, 2012

Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington