Natural Color
This 3D map shows the innermost planet of the Solar system as it would appear to a human eye.
This is a rendering of the 665m/px topographic model of Mercury, created by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center from images collected by the MESSENGER mission's MDIS instrument between March 2011 and April 2015.
The basis for imagery used in this map is the the 166m/px low incidence monochromatic mosaic created from images taken by the MDIS instrument. The chromatic information has been consequently derived from a lower resolution image mosaic created from MESSENGER's 750 and 430 nm narrow band filters to produce a simulated natural color effect.
This is a rendering of the 665m/px topographic model of Mercury, created by the USGS Astrogeology Science Center from images collected by the MESSENGER mission's MDIS instrument between March 2011 and April 2015.
The basis for imagery used in this map is the the 166m/px low incidence monochromatic mosaic created from images taken by the MDIS instrument. The chromatic information has been consequently derived from a lower resolution image mosaic created from MESSENGER's 750 and 430 nm narrow band filters to produce a simulated natural color effect.
Morphology
The imagery used in this 3D map of Mercury is a global monochrome map of reflectance, created at 166m/px resolution from images taken by MESSENGER's MDIS instrument. The 750 nm narrow band filter images with a typical solar incidence angle of 74° have been used to provide geometry illumination for morphology studies.
False Color
The imagery used in this view of Mercury has been created from MESSENGER's MDIS 1000, 750, and 430 nm narrow band filter images rendered in red, green and blue color bands, respectively. Instead of the value from any single image being used at a particular pixel location in a given wavelength band, the value used is the average from all of the images at that location where criteria for image scale, photometric geometry, and detector temperature are met. The maximum resolution is 665 m/px.
This map is not what Mercury would appear to a human eye. The wider spectral range accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface.
This map is not what Mercury would appear to a human eye. The wider spectral range accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface.
Enhanced Color
Enhanced Color is a color scheme created to emphasize color differences on Mercury's surface. This view uses a global mosaic with 430, 750, and 1000 nm bands and places the second principal component, the first principal component, and the 430/1000 ratio in the red, green, and blue channels respectively. The maximum resolution is 665 m/px.
This map is not what Mercury would appear to a human eye. The wider spectral range and subsequent mathematical analysis further accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface.
This map is not what Mercury would appear to a human eye. The wider spectral range and subsequent mathematical analysis further accentuates color differences on Mercury's surface.
