Riddles in the Dark
The newly named Tolkien crater honors English author J.R.R. Tolkien, best known as the author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The interior of Tolkien crater is an area of permanent shadow and is host to one of Mercury's largest radar-bright deposits. The bright feature inside of Tolkien is the crater's central peak, which towers high above the crater floor and is illuminated by sunlight. What precious secrets lie in the land of shadows within Tolkien crater? Some may be revealed by MESSENGER's suite of instruments. Others will remain hidden until discovered by a future fellowship.
Date acquired: May 28, 2012
Image Credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington