2000 1000 500 0 500 1000 2000 KILOMETERS

0

20

40

57

0

20

57

MEARCAIR

 PLANITIA

APĀRANGI

 PLANITIA

CATUILLA 

PLANUM

Heaney

PAPSUKKAL

PLANITIA

OTAARED

PLANITIA

SIHTU

PLANITIA

LUGUS

PLANITIA

Highest Point+ (4,676 m)

CALORIS

PLANITIA

STILBON PLANITIA

F aul k ner

Gra in ger

Munkácsy D ü r e r

Lan ge

Ak uta gawa E n hed ua nna

Ba gryana

J o b i m

Ke ro ua c

Kāli dāsā

M at isse

M i lto n

Schu be rt

Sh ole m

Al ei c h em

S m e t a n a

K ofi

Larrocha

H o l s t

I z q ui erdo

H au ptm an n

E q uia no

Ab u N u wa s

Andal

Ku an

H an -C h'i ng

H em in gwa y

E i tok u

Africanus

Horton

Al -

H am ad han i

Ku ro sawa

Rublev

R ū d a k i

Bar m a

Bartók

Be ll o

Bo eth iu s

So pho cles

Sor

Juana

Stra vi nsk y

Brun el le sch i

Bram an te

H aw tho r n e

Stri ndb erg

Giotto

Ghiberti

Gluck

Go ya

H arun ob u

Handel

D erai n

Imhotep

H ol bei n

H iro sh ig e

H it om aro

I bsen

Coleri dge

Gibran

Ke nk ō

Byron

C arducci

C ha ik ovsk ij

C he kh ov

C hu

Ta

P rou st

C hŏng

C h'ŏl

D arí o

Delacroix

Derzhavin

Shevchenko

Lerm ont ov

Li

P o

Lia ng

K'a i

M ah le r

M ach aut

Lysippus

M i st ra l

M ark

Twain

M el vil le

M ol i ère

Mickiewicz

P o lygn otu s

Mofolo

M ura sa k i

M ussorgsk i j

Praxiteles

N eu m a nn

Petrarch

Phidias

Pigalle

P o Ya

Ts'ao

C han

R ie m e nschne id er

Sa ya t-N ova

Scarlatti

S h e l l e y

Si nan

Sullivan

Sōtatsu

S ū r

D ā s

Tak ayoshi

A tg et

T hā k ur Titian

Ts'ai

Wen -C hi

Ustad

I sa

Unkei

V incent e

V e lá z q uez

Wang

M en g

Zeami

E m in escu

N erud a

Am aral

D a l i

P i ca sso

Ki pl in g

Steichen

Ak sak ov

Nabokov

Ste ve nson

J o p l i n

C atu ll us

So usa

C arava ggi o

R a p h a e l

Kuni sada

H a f i z

S a n a i

A n e i r i n

B e e t h o v e n

H a y d n

R e m b r a n d t

M ic helangelo

M o n e t

R e n o i r

V i v a l d i

Vālm ik i

C op la nd

Rachm aninoff

R usta ve li

H o m e r

H u g o

R o d i n

M oza r t

S h a k e s p e a r e

W r e n

T o l s t o j

Van

E yck

V y ā s a

R a d i t l a d i

Svei nsdó tti r

E llington

Vieira

da S i lva

S u r i k o v

Antoniad i Dors um

Al vi n

R up es

Astro lab e

R upe s

C al ypso

Ru pe s

Ende avo ur

Ru pes

Ha y sta c k

Caten a

H ee ms kerc k

Ru pes

Zee ha en

Rup es

Pantheon

F o s s a e

B l o s s o m

R u p e s

E n t e r p r i s e R

u

p

e s

r

Na u ti lus

R up e s

Palmer Rupes

Unity

Rupe s

Victoria Rupes

ODI N

PLA NI TI A

T I R

PLA NI TI A

BUDH

PLA NI TI A

S O B K O U

P L A N I T I A

Schiaparelli Dorsum

Duyfken Rupes

Mirni Rupes

Zarya

R u p es

Vost o k

R upes

Sant a

M aría

Rupes

Discovery

Rupes

Para mour Rupe s

Be l g i c a R u p e s

B e a gl e R u p e s

Dostoevskij

C A

L

O

R I S

M

O

N

T

E

S

Hun Kal

BOREALIS

 

 PLANITIA

TURMS

PLANITIA

Dowland

Mansur

Kuiper

Debussy

Poe

Sander

Munch

Kertész

57°

50°

30°

0°

–30°

–50°

–57°

57°

50°

30°

0°

–30°

–50°

–57°

180°W

180°E

30°W

330°E

60°W

300°E

90°W

270°E

120°W

240°E

150°W

210°E

180°W

180°E

0°W

360°E

210°W

150°E

240°W

120°E

270°W

90°E

300°W

60°E

330°W

30°E

180°E

180°W

330°E

30°W

300°E

60°W

270°E

90°W

240°E

120°W

210°E

150°W

180°E

180°W

360°E

0°W

120°E

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90°E

270°W

150°E

210°W

60°E

300°W

30°E

330°W

North

South

West

East

180°W

180°E

0°E

360°W

–55°

–55°

–60°

–60°

–70°

–70°

–80°

–80°

90°W

270°E

270°W

90°E

240°W

120°E

210°W

150°E

150°W

210°E

120°W

240°E

300°E

60°W

330°E

30°W

30°E

360°W

300°W

60°E

Chao

Meng-Fu

Magritte

Bernini

Boccaccio

Rabelais

Alencar

Hesiod

Keats

Coleridge

Khansa

Chopin

Ma

Chih-Yuan

Mendes Pinto

Sei

Vincente

Wagner

A l v e r

Roerich

Disney

P u s h k i n

B a c h

Cervantes

A d v e n t u r e

R u p

e

s

Pourquoi-Pas

Rupes

Resolution

Rupes

H e r o

R u p e s

E l t a n i n

R

u p e s

Te rror Rup e s

U T A R I D I

P L A N

I

T I A

U T A R I D I

P L A N

I

T I A

Fram

Rupes

SOUTH POLAR REGION

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS

-90

-70

-55

-90

-70

-55

SCALE 1:12,157,366 (1 mm = 12.157366 km) AT 56 ̊ LATITUDE

POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

West longitude (planetographic) coordinate system shown in black.

East longitude (planetocentric) coordinate system shown in red.

Rubens

Kofi

Henri

Ahm ad

Baba

Botticelli

Brahm s

Abedin

Monteverdi

Turgenev

Van

Dijck

Verdi

Oskison

Hokusai

Duccio

Lism er

Stieglitz

Prokofiev

G o e t h e

M e n d e l s s o h n

Caral

Vallis

Paestum

Vallis

Angkor

Vallis

Cahokia

Vallis

SUISEI

PLANITIA

La D auphine

R u pes

Carnegie Rupes

Timg ad Vallis

STILBON

 PLANITIA

P

L A N I

T

I

A

B

O

R E A

L

I

S

Lowest Point

 (-5,631 m)

+

55°

55°

60°

60°

70°

70°

80°

80°

180°E

180°W

0°W

360°E

240°E

120°W

210°E

150°W

150°E

210°W

120°E

240°W

270°W

90°E

300°W

60°E

330°W

30°E

30°W

330°E

60°W

300°E

90°W

270°E

1000 500 0 500 1000 KILOMETERS

90

70

55

90

70

55

NORTH POLAR REGION

SCALE 1:12,157,366 (1 mm = 12.157366 km) AT 56 ̊ LATITUDE

POLAR STEREOGRAPHIC PROJECTION

West longitude (planetographic) coordinate system shown in black.

East longitude (planetocentric) coordinate system shown in red.

SPACECRAFT AND INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION

This image mosaic is based on observations acquired by the Mercury Dual Imaging 

System (MDIS; Hawkins and others, 2009), an instrument on the National Aeronautics and 

Space Agency (NASA) MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging 

(MESSENGER) spacecraft (Solomon and others, 2007). MDIS consists of two cameras, a 

wide angle camera (WAC) and a narrow angle camera (NAC). The WAC is a 4-element 

refractive telescope having a focal length of 78 mm and a collecting area of 48 mm2. A 

12-position filter wheel provides color imaging over the spectral range of the charge-coupled 

device (CCD) detector. Eleven spectral filters spanning the range from 395 nanometers (nm) 

to 1,040 nm are defined to cover wavelengths diagnostic of different surface materials. The 

twelfth position is a broad-band filter for optical navigation. The filters are arranged on the 

filter wheel in such a way as to provide complementary passbands (for example, 3- and 

4-color imaging) in adjacent positions (Denevi and others, 2016). The NAC is an off-axis 

reflective telescope with a 550-mm focal length and a collecting area of 462 mm2

. The NAC 

has an identical CCD detector with a single medium-band filter (100 nm wide), centered at 

750 nm to match to the corresponding WAC filter 7 (or G filter) for monochrome imaging 

(Hash and others, 2015).

MAP DESCRIPTION

This global mosaic includes the Basemap Data Records (BDR) compiled using NAC and 

WAC 750-nm images that best fit the intended illumination geometry of low emission angle 

and incidence angle near 74°. Prior to mosaicking, the images were photometrically 

normalized to a solar incidence angle (i) = 30°, emission angle (e) = 0°, and phase angle 

(g) = 30° at a spatial sampling of 256 pixels per degree (~166 meter per pixel at the equator). 

The 30° incidence angle was found to minimize shadows while including topographic 

shading. This edition, version 2, was released on May 12, 2017, as 15 tiles to the Planetary 

Data System (PDS) MESSENGER archive (Hash, 2013).

PROJECTION

The Mercator projection is used between latitudes ±57°, with a central meridian at 0° 

longitude and latitude equal to the nominal scale at 0°. The polar stereographic projection is 

used for the regions north of the +55° parallel and south of the –55° parallel, with a central 

meridian set for both at 0° and a latitude of true scale at +90° and –90°, respectively. The 

adopted spherical radius used to define the map scale is 2439.4 km (Perry and others, 2015).

COORDINATE SYSTEM

The orientation model for Mercury has been updated using improved pole position and 

short-period longitude libration information from Margot (2009). The International 

Astronomical Union (IAU) Working Group, since its original report (Davies and others, 

1980), recommends the use of the crater Hun Kal (which means “twenty” in the Mayan 

language) to define the 20° west longitude meridian. Therefore, the value of the prime 

meridian (W0) used previously (W0 = 329.548°; Robinson and others, 1999) but corrected for 

libration terms at J2000.0 results in a new recommended value of W0 = 329.5988° 

(Stark, 2016). The pole position is given by an updated model by Stark, with the J2000.0 right 

ascension of the pole as 281.0103–0.0328T and the declination as 61.4155–0.0049T, where T 

is the number of Julian centuries from J2000.0 (Stark, 2017).

Using this prime meridian, the mosaic was constructed from overlapping NAC and WAC 

750-nm images and controlled using NASA’s updated Navigation and Ancillary Information 

Facility (NAIF) SPICE (Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, C-matrix, Events; Acton, 1996) 

kernels (known as c-smithed kernels) and a global digital elevation model (DEM), both 

derived using a least-squares bundle adjustment of common features. Images were 

orthorectified using this derived DEM. Empirically, misregistration errors between images 

decreased generally to the pixel scale of the map (~0.2 km) in most locations. Derivation of 

c-smithed kernels and the DEM for end-of-mission data products was described by Becker 

and others (2016).

Longitudes are shown in both positive West (shown in black) and East (shown in red). 

Positive West is the default longitude system recommended by the IAU (Archinal and others, 

2011), but positive East has been used for all MESSENGER map products. 

MAPPING TECHNIQUES

Included in this global mosaic are BDRs created with images from any campaign that 

best fit the intended illumination geometry. A campaign refers to a planned period of image 

acquisition during a mission. To prepare the images for publication, the original PDS tiles 

were map projected into Mercator and Polar Stereographic projections with a resolution of 

~166 meter per pixel. The original reflectance values (I/F) were stretched from a minimum of 

0.000867 to a maximum of 0.220197 to 8 bits (0 to 255) using a linear stretch. Finally, the 

images were then scaled to 1:20,000,000 for the Mercator part and 1:12,157,366 for the two 

polar stereographic parts with a resolution of 300 pixels per inch. The two projections have a 

common scale at ±56° latitude.

NOMENCLATURE

Feature names on this sheet have been approved by the IAU. All features greater than 

100 km in diameter or length were included unless they were not visible at the printed map 

scale. Some selected well-known features less than 100 km in diameter or length were also 

included. For a complete list of the IAU-approved nomenclature for Mercury, see the 

Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature at https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The collection of the data used in the production of this map was made possible by 

NASA and the MESSENGER team. The production of the map itself and publication costs 

were funded by a NASA and USGS Interagency Agreement. 

REFERENCES CITED

Acton, C.H., 1996, Ancillary Data Services of NASA’s Navigation and Ancillary Information 

Facility: Planetary and Space Science, v. 44, no. 1, p. 65–70, 

https://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/naif/.

Archinal, B.A. (chair), A’Hearn, M.F., Bowell, E., Conrad, A., Consolmagno, G.J., Courtin, 

R., Fukushima, T., Hestroffer, D., Hilton, J.L., Krasinsky, G.A., Neumann, G., Oberst, J., 

Seidelmann, P.K., Stooke, P., Tholen, D.J., Thomas, P.C., and Williams, I.P., 2011, 

Report of the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational 

Elements—2009: Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, v. 109, no. 2, p. 

101–135, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-010-9320-4.

Becker, K.J., Robinson, M.S., Becker, T.L., Weller, L.A., Edmundson, L., Neumann, G.A., 

Perry, M.E., and Solomon, S.C., 2016, First global digital elevation model of Mercury: 

Lunar and Planetary Science XLVII, abstract 2959.

Davies, M.E., Abalakin, V.K., Cross, C.A., Duncombe, R.L., Masursky, H., Morando, B., 

Owen, T.C., Seidelmann, P.K., Sinclair, A.T., Wilkins, G.A., and Tjuflin, Y.S., 1980, 

Report of the IAU Working Group on Cartographic Coordinates and Rotational Elements 

of the Planets and Satellites: Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, v. 22, p. 

205–230.

Denevi, B.W., Seelos, F.P., Ernst, C.M., Keller, M.R., Chabot, N.L., Murchie, S.L., 

Domingue, D.L., Hash, C.D., and Blewett, D.T., 2016, Final calibration and multispectral 

map products from the Mercury Dual Imaging System wide-angle camera on 

MESSENGER: Lunar and Planetary Science XLVII, abstract 1264, 

https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2016/pdf/1264.pdf.

Hash, C., 2013, MESSENGER MDIS Map Projected Basemap RDR V1.0: NASA Planetary 

Data System, https://pds-imaging.jpl.nasa.gov/volumes/mess.html.

Hash, C., Espiritu, R., Malaret, E., Prockter, L., Murchie, S., Mick, A., and Ward, J., 2015, 

MESSENGER Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) Experiment Data Record (EDR) 

Software Interface Specification (SIS): The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics 

Labratory, MDIS EDR SIS V2T, https://pdsimage2.wr.usgs.gov/archive/messe_v_h-mdis-2-edr-rawdata-v1.0/MSGRMDS_1001/DOCUMENT/MDISEDRSIS.PDF.

Hawkins, S.E., III, Murchie, S.L., Becker, K.J., Selby, C.M., Turner, F.S., Nobel, M.W., 

Chabot, N.L., Choo, T.H., Darlington, E.H., Denevi, B.W., Domingue, D.L., Ernst, C.M., 

Holsclaw, G.M., Laslo, N.R., McClintock, W.E., Prockter, L.M., Robinson, M.S., 

Solomon, S.C., and Sterner, R.E., II, 2009, In-flight performance of MESSENGER’s 

Mercury Dual Imaging System, in Hoover, B., Levin, G.V., Rozanov, A.Y., and Retherford, K.D., eds., Instruments and methods for Astrobiology and Planetary Missions XII: 

Bellingham, Wash., SPIE, Paper 74410Z, 12 p.

Margot, J.L., 2009, A Mercury orientation model including non-zero obliquity and librations: 

Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, v. 105, p. 329–336, 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10569-009-9234-1.

Perry, M.E., Neumann, G.A., Phillips, R.J., Barnouin, O.S., Ernst, C.M., Kahan, D.S., 

Solomon, S.C., Zuber, M.T., Smith, D.R., Hauck, S.A., II, Peale, S.J., Margot, J.L., 

Mazarico, E., Johnson, C.L., Gaskell, R.W., Roberts, J.H., McNutt, R.L., Jr., and Oberst, 

J., 2015, The low-degree shape of Mercury: Geophysical Research Letters, v. 42, p. 

6951–6958, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL065101.

Robinson, M.S., Davies, M.E., Colvin, T.R., and Edwards, K., 1999, A revised control 

network for Mercury: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 104, p. 30847–30852.

Solomon, S.C., McNutt Jr., R.L., Gold, R.E., and Domingue, D.L., 2007, MESSENGER 

mission overview: Space Science Reviews, v. 131, p. 3–39, 

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11214-007-9247-6.

Stark, A., 2015, The prime meridian of the planet Mercury: DLR and Technische Universität 

Berlin, 

ftp://naif.jpl.nasa.gov/pub/naif/pds/data/mess-e_v_h-spice-6-v1.0/messsp_1000/documen

t/stark_prime_meridian.pdf. 

Stark, A., Oberst, J., Preusker, F., Burmeister, and S., Steinbrügge, H., 2017, The reference 

frames of Mercury after MESSENGER, arXiv preprint arXiv:1710.09686.

ISSN 2329-1311 (print)

ISSN 2329-132X (online)

https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3404

Printed on recycled paper

Prepared for the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Scientific Investigations Map 3404

Sheet 1 of 2

Image Map of Mercury

By

Marc A. Hunter,1

 Trent M. Hare,1 Rosalyn K. Hayward,1 Nancy L. Chabot,2 Christopher D. Hash,3

Brett W. Denevi,2 Carolyn M. Ernst,2 Scott L. Murchie,2 David T. Blewett,2 Erick R. Malaret,3 and Sean C. Solomon4

2018

Descriptions of nomenclature used on map are listed 

at https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov

Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does 

not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government

This map is also offered in an online, digital version. Users should be aware that, 

because of differences in rendering processes and pixel resolution, some slight 

distortion of scale may occur when viewing it on a computer screen or when 

printing it on an electronic plotter, even when it is viewed or printed at its intended 

publication scale

For sale by U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, 

Denver, CO 80225, 1–888–ASK–USGS

Digital files available at https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3404

Suggested citation: Hunter, M.A., Hare, T.M., Hayward, R.K., Chabot, N.L., Hash, 

C.D., Denevi, B.W., Ernst, C.M., Murchie, S.L., Blewett, D.T., Malaret, E.R., Solomon, 

S.C., Becker, K.J., Becker, T.L., Weller, L.A., Edmundson, K.L., Neuman, G.A., 

Mazarico, E., and Perry, M.E., 2018, Image mosaic and topographic maps of 

Mercury: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3404, scale 

1:20,000,000 and 1:12,157,366, https://doi.org/10.3133/sim3404. 

SCALE 1:20 000 000 (1 mm = 20 km) AT 56° LATITUDE

MERCATOR PROJECTION

West longitude (planetographic) coordinate system shown in black.

East longitude (planetocentric) coordinate system shown in red.

1

U.S. Geological Survey,

2

Johns Hopkins University,

3

Applied Coherent Technology Corp.,

4

Columbia University

Prepared on behalf of the Planetary Science Division, Science Mission 

Directorate, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Edited by J.L. Zigler; digital cartography by D.L. Knifong

Manuscript approved for publication April 2, 2018