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Published June 10, 1975 | Published
Journal Article Open

Preliminary imaging results from the second Mercury encounter

Abstract

The second Mercury encounter has resulted in the acquisition of about 360 pictures of the south polar regions which provide a reliable cartographic and geologic tie between the two sides of the planet photographed on the first encounter. Stereoscopic coverage of large areas of the southern hemisphere was obtained by combining Mercury 1 and 2 pictures taken at different viewing angles. The south polar regions consist of heavily cratered terrain and intercrater plains interspersed with patches of smooth plains. No large areas of smooth plains similar to those surrounding Caloris occur in the south polar regions. No new types of terrain have been recognized, but lobate scarps are common. The second largest basin seen by Mariner 10 (∼600-km diameter) has been confirmed on the new photography. At high solar elevations the surface displays an abundance of rays and rayed craters.

Additional Information

Copyright 1975 by the American Geophysical Union. (Received February 14, 1975; revised February 27, 1975; accepted March 3, 1975.) We gratefully acknowledge the support and encouragement of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and specifically the untiring support of W. Cunningham and S. Dwornik, the Program Manager and Program Scientist, respectively. We extend sincere appreciation and thanks to the many individuals at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the Boeing Company, who contributed to the success of the Mariner 10 second encounter. J. Soha and J. Mosher of JPL expertly chose optimum parameters for image processing and projections for stereoscopic viewing. In particular, the TV team is indebted to Ken Klaasen, JPL Imaging Experiment Representative, whose planning and execution of the TV sequence were fundamental to the success of the second encounter.

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Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 18, 2023