Here’s another Where In The Universe Challenge, to test your visual knowledge of the cosmos. This week’s image was submitted by UT reader Jason Major, who is hoping this one will pose a challenge for everyone. But you know what to do: take a look at this image and see if you can determine where in the universe this image is from; give yourself extra points if you can name the instrument responsible for the image. We’ll provide the image today, but won’t reveal the answer until tomorrow. This gives you a chance to mull over the image and provide your answer/guess in the comment section. Please, no links or extensive explanations of what you think this is — give everyone the chance to guess.
Good Luck!
UPDATE: The answer is now below.
This is Rembrandt Crater on Mercury as seen by the MESSENGER spacecraft. Rembrandt is a relatively young impact basin, and forming about 3.9 billion years ago, is younger than any other known impact region on the planet. Images from MESSENGER show pristine terrain on the outer portion of the crater, as well as unusual tectonic fault features, not found in any other big crater. You can read more about it in our previous article about “New Mysteries Unveiled on Mercury.”
Thanks once again to Jason Major for submitting this week’s image. Check back next week for another WITU challenge!
It looks to me like Tethys, one of the moons of saturn…
It’s the Rembrandt Impact Basin on the planet Mercury as seen by the MESSENGER space probe.
😎
Mercury. (I’m not yet familiar with the locations.) Messenger.
Either Mercury from Messenger, or Luna from Kaguya. It’s hard to tell which of those two bodies it is.
That white-covered area on the left says “Mercury”. Clearly Mercury is made of bland white cheese 🙂
Mercury. Messenger. Narrow Angle Camera.
Mercury by Messenger!
Rats late again. Definately Mercury taken by Messenger on a flyby.
LC
The jungles of Afghanistan?
Messenger took this picture of the Rembrandt basin on Mercury during the 2nd flyby.
Once again, Nancy has raided my computer for a picture. This is definitely the Rembrandt impact basin on Mercury by Messenger. I had to turn my picture 90 degrees to be absolutely certain; but certain I am. Or maybe it is my backyard after my dogs have been digging in it.
it all the more looks like the moon though……………..
Goal: Find a pix of the moon that looks like Mercury.
I am going with moon…..
@joycecougar: Can’t you read. Posting spam is not allowed. 3)Don’t advertise – Don’t use the site to promote your product, service, or your own website. If you’d like to promote your stuff, buy advertising.
Where are the site administrators??
@joycecougar: ….maybe find a sugarmomma who can pay all your needs?… just not at UT. Frasier, do you run a blog anymore? What’s next, Victoria ads or 900-number phone porn?
@ joycecouger,
Hey, a word of advice: go and bother those guys at Thunder[bollocks].info at this URL: http://www.thunderbolts.info/forum/phpBB3/index.php
They certainly could do with some sugarmommas to pay for their needs! 😉
@IVAN3MAN, ROFL. Ar least five UT stories have been spammed by this person, no action taken. Guess UT policy is a joke. Expect to see my porn videos for sale at UT tomorrow. Gotta make a buck! /sarc/ , I Like your idea too!
The moon or Mercury – I’ll go with Mercury.
Mercury, by Messenger.
I love being the first to answer to these challen… oh, wait. Damn!
Mercury/Messenger. Would be hilarious if we were all wrong 🙂 Kind of hope we are, actually.
Mercury – Rembrandt basin – Spacecraft MESSENGER with the Narrow Angle Camera
My first thought was the moon, but those crater patterns don’t look right. So it pretty much has to be Mercury, and was thus probably taken by Messenger during one of its past 2 fly-bys of the planet. I don’t know the names of any cameras on Messenger, so I can’t even speculate about that bit.
Easy one right? I always find it uncanny how much Mercury resembles our own Moon, especially in black and white. We’ll get some great images when MESSENGER enters orbit next year too. 🙂