Mickey Mouse on Mercury?
This collection of craters, shaped not unlike the iconic head of a certain cartoon mouse, was imaged by NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft on June 3, 2012.
All together now: C-R-A, T-E-R… M-O-U-S-Eeeeee…
Acquired as part of MESSENGER’s extended mission to map Mercury’s surface in higher detail, the image above isn’t map-projected; that is, it’s not aligned with north as up. In reality the large crater that makes up Mickey’s “head” is north of the two “ears”.
Still, this is one big mouse head — the large crater in the center has a diameter of approximately 105 km (65 miles)!
Read more about this and see many other images of the first rock from the Sun on the MESSENGER mission site here.
Image credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington
Recent Posts
Here’s What We Know About Earth’s Temporary Mini-Moon
For a little over a month now, the Earth has been joined by a new…
New Study Suggests Black Holes Get their “Hair” from their Mothers
Despite decades of study, black holes are still one of the most puzzling objects in…
Gaze at New Pictures of the Sun from Solar Orbiter
74 million kilometres is a huge distance from which to observe something. But 74 million…
Are Fast Radio Bursts Caused by Interstellar Objects Crashing Into Neutron Stars?
Astronomers have only been aware of fast radio bursts for about two decades. These are…
Here’s How to Weigh Gigantic Filaments of Dark Matter
How do you weigh one of the largest objects in the entire universe? Very carefully,…
How Could Astronauts Call for Help from the Moon?
Exploring the Moon poses significant risks, with its extreme environment and hazardous terrain presenting numerous…