The Geology of Mercury As Seen by MESSENGER
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INAF - Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte 26 February 2014, "Giuseppe Piazzi" Lecture Hall Gaetano Di Achille INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Capdoionte "The geology of Mercury as seen by MESSENGER: Implications for science, targeting, and operations of the High Resolution Imaging Channel (HRIC) camera onboard the ESA Bepicolombo mission" "In 2008 the NASA MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft became the second probe to visit Mercury after the Mariner10 that flew by the planet in 1974 and 1975. Since March 2011 MESSENGER is orbiting Mercury and acquiring a wealth of data that is changing the view of the smallest and inner planet of our solar system. First of all, several undetected tectonic structures were discovered. Second, MESSENGER images show several possible volcanic vents and extensive lava plains suggesting that volcanism played an important role throughout the planet’s history. Third, MDIS images reveal previously unidentified features named hollows, clusters of asymmetrical pits thought to be the results of the release of volatiles from the surface. The High Resolution Imaging Channel (HRIC) is part of the Italian suite of instruments SIMBIO SYS (Spectrometers and Imagers for MPO BepiColombo Integrated Observatory SYStem) that will be onboard the 2015 ESA BepiColombo mission. The hi res images from HRIC will be the perfect follow up for the recent findings by MESSENGER returning data at unprecedented resolution and thus enabling detailed geomorphological geological analysis of Mercury’s surface. Here, after shortly introducing the camera from the technical point of view, we will present the main HRIC scientific objectives, expected results, and its operational and targeting strategies in the light of MESSENGER data." INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte. Astromeeting salita Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli [email protected] - tel. +39 081 5575 111.