Explanation: Why does this large crater on Mercury have two rings and a smooth floor? No one is sure. The unusual feature called Vivaldi Crater spans 215 kilometers and was imaged again in great detail by ESA's and JAXA's robotic BepiColombo spacecraft on a flyby earlier this month. A large circular feature on a rocky planet or moon is usually caused by either an impact by a small asteroid or a comet fragment, or a volcanic eruption. In the case of Vivaldi, it is possible that both occurred -- a heavy strike that caused a smooth internal lava flow. Double-ringed craters are rare, and the cause of the inner rings remains a topic of research. The speed-slowing gravity-assisted flyby of Mercury by BepiColombo was in preparation for the spacecraft entering orbit around the Solar System's innermost planet in 2026.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Publikacii s klyuchevymi slovami: Mercury - Merkurii Publikacii so slovami: Mercury - Merkurii
Sm. takzhe: S dobrym utrom, Luna Merkurii s proletayushego apparata "BepiKolombo" Natrievyi hvost Merkuriya Merkurii i svet da Vinchi Venera, Merkurii i ubyvayushaya Luna Natrievyi sled Merkuriya Zelenye vspyshki: Solnce, Luna, Venera, Merkurii Vse publikacii na tu zhe temu >>