Mercury - Crater Ejecta and Chains of Secondary Impacts
This newly observed flat-floored crater was viewed at an oblique angle as the MESSENGER spacecraft approached Mercury for its third flyby, about two hours from closest approach. This crater is younger than nearby craters of similar size, indicated by the distinctive halo of small secondary craters that radiate outward from the central structure. Many of these secondaries are aligned in chain-like formations. Crater chains are just one of many ejecta types observed on Mercury.
ID#:
NASA-PIA12271
Source:
NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington