This view was captured as MDIS pointed to the east, which is oriented as the top of this image. Smooth plains extend into the distance, while the closer ground near the bottom of the image is more heavily cratered and hence rougher in texture. This location is on the edge of volcanic smooth plains that cover a great extent of Mercury's northern region.
Date acquired: August 12, 2011
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington