Down on the floor of the immense Caloris Basin ? an impact crater at least 1,300 kilometres wide that scars the surface of the planet Mercury ? lies a set of radial troughs nicknamed 'the spider' (right).
This image is one of many sent back by NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft during its 14 January flyby, the first of three planned before it settles into orbit around Mercury in 2011. Project scientists think the troughs in the spider formed as material in the floor of the Caloris Basin pulled apart. A smaller impact crater near the centre may also have contributed to trough formation.
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Probe catches glimpse of surface troughs on Mercury. Nature 451, 619 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/451619c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/451619c
