MESSENGER MASCS VIRS Derived Data: Visible and Near-Infrared Spectra

MESSENGER MASCS VIRS derived observations, also known as DDRs, are provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The data set consists of spectral observations from two photodiode arrays covering the visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges. The data was last updated on March 13, 2026.

Use Cases

• Analyzing surface composition of Mercury based on visible and near-infrared spectral reflectance.
• Mapping mineralogical variations across Mercury's surface based on spectral data.
• Calibrating and validating spectral models for planetary bodies based on the fixed grating spectrograph design.

Strengths

• Data originates from the NASA MESSENGER mission, a primary source for Mercury science.
• Provides simultaneous coverage of visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges from two arrays.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the MESSENGER spacecraft's MASCS VIRS instrument.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 15:32:49.954071; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mercury