This was an exciting week for astronomy!
Today NASA released maps compiled from the Messenger satellite that provide a detailed look at the geology and chemistry of Mercury.
Light blue hues indicate meteor strikes and their ejecta. Yellow hues signify volcanic upwellings. Dark blue areas are mysterious sites where silica-based material appear to be vaporizing and leaving depressions in the landscape. This video below pans across the entire face of Mercury. Enjoy!
Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington