{"id":792518,"date":"2025-01-09T15:39:06","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T20:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=792518"},"modified":"2025-01-09T15:39:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-09T20:39:06","slug":"mercury-images-from-final-flyby-of-bepicolombo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=792518","title":{"rendered":"Mercury images from final flyby of BepiColombo!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n<\/p>\n
\nThis image reveals Mercury\u2019s shadowy north pole showing several possibly icy craters whose floors are in permanent shadow located on the northern plains. This is one of the new Mercury images relased by ESA on January 9, 2025. Image via ESA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Flyby of Mercury<\/h3>\n
On January 9, 2025, ESA released new images of Mercury after the BepiColombo mission flew past Mercury for the sixth time on January 8, 2025. It successfully completed its final gravity assist maneuver needed to steer it into orbit around the planet in late 2026. The spacecraft flew above the planet\u2019s north pole. Close-up images expose possibly icy craters whose floors are in permanent shadow, and the vast sunlit northern plains.<\/p>\n
BepiColombo flew just 183 miles (295 kilometers) above Mercury\u2019s surface on the planet\u2019s cold, dark night side. Around seven minutes later, it passed directly over the Mercury\u2019s north pole before getting clear views of the planet\u2019s sunlit north.<\/p>\n
This flyby also marks the last time that the mission\u2019s M-CAMs \u2013 monitoring cameras \u2013 get up-close views of Mercury, as the spacecraft module they are attached to will separate from the mission\u2019s two orbiters \u2013 ESA\u2019s Mercury Planetary Orbiter and JAXA\u2019s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter \u2013 before they enter orbit around Mercury in late 2026.<\/p>\n
Peering into Mercury\u2019s darkest craters<\/h3>\n
After flying through Mercury\u2019s shadow, BepiColombo\u2019s monitoring camera 1 (M-CAM 1) got the first close views of Mercury\u2019s surface. (See image above). Flying over the terminator \u2013 the boundary between day and night \u2013 the spacecraft got a unique opportunity to peer directly down into the forever-shadowed craters at planet\u2019s north pole.<\/p>\n
The rims of craters Prokofiev, Kandinsky, Tolkien and Gordimer cast permanent shadows on their floors. This makes these unlit craters some of the coldest places in the solar system, despite Mercury being the closest planet to the sun!<\/p>\n
Excitingly, there is existing evidence that these dark craters contain frozen water. Whether there is really water on Mercury is one of the key Mercury mysteries that BepiColombo will investigate once it is in orbit around the planet.<\/p>\n
To the left of Mercury\u2019s north pole view lie the vast volcanic plains known as Borealis Planitia. These are Mercury\u2019s largest expanse of smooth plains and that formed by the widespread eruption of runny lava 3.7 billion years ago.<\/p>\n
This lava flooded existing craters, such as the Henri and Lismer craters highlighted in the image. The wrinkles in the surface that formed over billions of years following the solidification of the lava, probably in response to the planet contracting as its interior cooled down.<\/p>\n
Mercury\u2019s sunlit north viewed<\/h3>\nAnother image shows that these plains extend over a large part of Mercury\u2019s surface. Prominently visible is the Mendelssohn crater and a handful of smaller, more recent impact craters dent the smooth surface. Image via ESA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Another M-CAM 1 image, taken just five minutes after the first, shows that these plains extend over a large part of Mercury\u2019s surface. Prominently visible is the Mendelssohn crater, whose outer rim is barely visible above its flooded interior. Just a handful of smaller, more recent impact craters dent the smooth surface.<\/p>\n
Further out, but still within the Borealis Planitia, the Rustaveli crater suffered a similar fate.<\/p>\n
On the bottom left of the image lies the massive Caloris basin, Mercury\u2019s largest impact crater, which spans more than 900 miles (1500 kilometers). The impact that created this basin scarred Mercury\u2019s surface up to thousands of miles away, as evidenced by the linear troughs radiating out from it.<\/p>\n
Above a particularly large trough, a boomerang-shaped curve brightens the surface. This bright lava flow appears to connect to a deep trough below it. It appears similar in color to both the lava on the floor of the Caloris basin and the lava of Borealis Planitia further north. Yet another mystery that BepiColombo hopes to solve is which way this lava moved: into the Caloris basin, or out of it?<\/p>\n
Lava and debris brighten Mercury\u2019s surface<\/h3>\nThis image shows examples of the 2 things that bring bright material to the surface: volcanic activity and large impacts. Image via ESA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
While M-CAM\u2019s images might not always make it appear so, Mercury is a remarkably dark planet. At a first glance the cratered planet may resemble the moon, but its cratered surface only reflects about two-thirds as much light.<\/p>\n
On this dark planet, younger features on the surface tend to appear brighter. Scientists don\u2019t yet know what exactly Mercury is made of, but it is clear that material brought up from beneath the outer surface gradually becomes darker with age.<\/p>\n
BepiColombo\u2019s third image selected from this flyby, shows spectacular examples of the two things that bring bright material to the surface: volcanic activity and large impacts.<\/p>\n
The bright patch near the planet\u2019s upper edge in this image is the Nathair Facula, the aftermath of the largest volcanic explosion on Mercury. At its center is a volcanic vent of around 25 miles (40 kilometers) across that has been the site of at least three major eruptions. The explosive volcanic deposit is at least 186 miles (300 kilometers) in diameter.<\/p>\n
And to the left lies the relatively young Fonteyn crater, which formed a mere<\/em> 300 million years ago. Its youth is apparent from the brightness of the impact debris that radiates out from it.<\/p>\n
Throughout its mission, several BepiColombo instruments will measure the composition of both old and new parts of the planet\u2019s surface. This will teach us about what Mercury is made of, and how the planet formed.<\/p>\n
Finishing in style<\/h3>\n
Frank Budnik, BepiColombo Flight Dynamics Manager, said:<\/p>\n
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This is the first time that we performed two flyby campaigns back-to-back. This flyby happens a bit more than a month after the previous one. Based on our preliminary assessment, everything proceeded smoothly and flawlessly.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Geraint Jones, BepiColombo\u2019s Project Scientist at ESA, concluded:<\/p>\n
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BepiColombo\u2019s main mission phase may only start two years from now, but all six of its flybys of Mercury have given us invaluable new information about the little-explored planet. In the next few weeks, the BepiColombo team will work hard to unravel as many of Mercury\u2019s mysteries with the data from this flyby as we can.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
About BepiColombo<\/h3>\n
After arrival at Mercury in late 2026, the spacecraft will separate and the two orbiters will maneuver to their dedicated polar orbits around the planet. Starting science operations in early 2027, both orbiters will gather data during a one-year nominal mission, with a possible one-year extension. <\/p>\n
Bottom line: BepiColombo had its final flyby of Mercury on January 8, 2025. The spacecraft will eventually go into orbit around the closest planet to the sun. ESA released new Mercury images taken during this recent encounter.<\/p>\n
VIA ESA<\/p>\n
Read more: Images from the 3rd Mercury flyby of BepiColombo!<\/p>\n
![\"Detailed](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/01\/Mercury_s_sunlit_north_viewed_by_M-CAM_1_with_labels_article.jpg\")
![\"Detailed](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2025\/01\/Lava_and_debris_brighten_Mercury_s_surface_with_labels_article.jpg\")