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Updated: Jul 3, 2026
10:35
Bringing the Visible Universe into Focus with Robo-AO
Published on: February 12, 2013
Laser altimeter observations from MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby
Maria T Zuber1, David E Smith, Sean C Solomon
1Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307, USA. zuber@mit.edu
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|July 5, 2008
Summary
Mercury
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Geophysics
- Geomorphology
Background:
- The MESSENGER spacecraft provided unprecedented data on Mercury's surface.
- Understanding Mercury's topography is crucial for planetary evolution models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the topography of Mercury's near-equatorial region using Mercury Laser Altimeter data.
- To compare crater morphology on Mercury with other celestial bodies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 3200-kilometer topographic profile from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) on the MESSENGER spacecraft.
- Analyzed long-wavelength topographic slopes and crater characteristics.
Main Results:
- The analyzed topography exhibits a 5.2 km dynamic range and 930 m root-mean-square roughness.
- A slight eastward slope (0.02 degrees) was detected at long wavelengths.
- Mercury's craters are shallower than the Moon's, likely due to higher gravity, with varied floor roughness and slopes.
Conclusions:
- Mercury's equatorial shape shows variations that are at least partially compensated.
- Crater modification on Mercury is complex and occurs across multiple length scales, influenced by gravity.
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