A $1.8 billion European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) mission has captured stunning images of Mercury’s north pole region, showcasing the planet’s vast sunlit northern plains and polar craters suspected of hosting ice. The BepiColumbo mission flew just 183 miles above Mercury’s surface on January 8, 2025, capturing black-and-white snapshots of shadowed craters like Prokofiev and Kandinsky.
The images reveal the planet’s extreme temperature fluctuations, ranging from -290°F to 800°F (-180°C to 430°C), due to its proximity to the sun. The flyby also captured lava-flooded craters like Mendelssohn and Rustaveli, as well as the massive Caloris basin, spanning 1,500 km.
BepiColumbo is part of a joint mission with NASA’s Mariner 10 and MESSENGER, which mapped Mercury from 2008-2015. The ESA and JAXA spacecraft will separate into different orbits around Mercury and collaborate to study the planet’s origin, evolution, internal structure, geological features, composition, and atmosphere.
The mission aims to investigate the effect of solar wind on Mercury’s magnetosphere, analyze deposits at its poles, and map the planet across various wavelengths. BepiColumbo will also explore the origin of Mercury’s magnetic field and study the planet’s volcanic mysteries.
With a seven-year journey from Earth to Mercury, the spacecraft is set to reach its destination in November 2026, after overcoming a technical issue with its solar panels. The mission marks an exciting new chapter in space exploration, offering insights into one of our closest celestial neighbors.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/01/15/in-photos-see-mercurys-craters-in-spectacular-close-ups-after-flyby