Topographic view of northern Mercury

Topographic view of northern Mercury
This image shows a perspective view towards the north of Mercury, coloured according to the topographic height of the surface. Purple represents the lowest areas, while white indicates the highest. Mercury's elevation differences span approximately ten kilometres, compared to around 20 kilometres on Earth. The craters Rubens and Monteverdi, with diameters of 159 and 134 kilometres respectively, are located above the centre of the image. Studying Mercury's large impact basins provides insights into structures hidden from the cameras below the surface, such as differences in the planet's gravitational field. Observed gravity field contrasts provide clues about past surface and crust temperatures, with warmer zones showing lower contrasts.
Credit:

NASA/JHU-APL/Carnegie Institution of Washington