Last week, teh BepiColombo spacecraft made its fifth flyby of Mercury, capturing the closest planet to the Sun in mid-infrared light for the first time. The images and data collected during the flyby have provided new insights into Mercury’s temperature and composition, revealing details that were previously unknown.
Launched in October 2018, BepiColombo is on a mission to explore Mercury, with an expected arrival date of November 2026. The spacecraft’s fifth flyby, which took place earlier this month, provided a wealth of new data about the planet’s surface using the Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (MERTIS).
MERTIS captured images of Mercury at mid-infrared wavelengths, revealing details about the planet’s surface temperature, roughness, and mineral composition. The instrument was developed by Jörn Helbert, principal investigator at the German Aerospace Center, who expressed his excitement about the first MERTIS data from Mercury.
“After about two decades of development, laboratory measurements of hot rocks similar to those on Mercury and countless tests of the entire sequence of events over the duration of the mission, the first MERTIS data from Mercury are now available,” said Helbert.“This is truly amazing!”
The images captured by MERTIS show Bashō Crater, an impact crater that was previously observed by the Mariner 10 and Messenger missions. In visible light,the crater is a clearly visible pockmark on the planet’s surface,but it is also visible at mid-infrared wavelengths.
“The moment when we first looked at the MERTIS flyby data and could immediately distinguish impact craters was truly amazing,” said Solmaz Adeli, a researcher at the Institute for Planetary Research at the German Aerospace Center. “There is a lot to discover in this data set – surface features that have never been observed in this way before are waiting for us.”
Adeli added that MERTIS data shows Mercury’s surface was 788° fahrenheit (420° Celsius) at the time of the flyby. Testing various minerals in the laboratory and seeing how they glow at mid-infrared wavelengths can reveal the exact chemistry in sediments on a planet’s surface.
Although BepiColombo’s arrival in Mercury’s orbit was delayed, recent observations provide a glimpse of the planet that scientists will see up close in two years’ time.The spacecraft’s mission is expected to provide valuable insights into the planet’s geology, magnetic field, and atmosphere, as well as its history and evolution.
As the spacecraft continues its journey to Mercury,scientists are eagerly anticipating the wealth of data and images that it will provide. The mission is a joint effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), and is expected to make significant contributions to our understanding of the inner Solar System.
BepiColombo’s Fifth Flyby: New Insights into mercury’s Surface and composition
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In a groundbreaking achievement, the BepiColombo spacecraft completed its fifth flyby of Mercury last week, capturing unprecedented images of the planet in mid-infrared light. This amazing feat has provided scientists with fresh insights into Mercury’s temperature and mineral composition. Too discuss the importance of this mission and the findings from the latest flyby, we sat down with Dr. Jörn Helbert, principal investigator of the MERTIS instrument at the German Aerospace Center.
The Significance of the Fifth Flyby
Senior Editor: Dr. Helbert, the recent flyby of Mercury marked a significant milestone for the BepiColombo mission. Can you elaborate on the key findings from this fifth flyby?
Dr. Helbert: Absolutely! This fifth flyby allowed us to capture the planet’s surface in mid-infrared wavelengths for the first time. We collected invaluable data on Mercury’s temperature, specifically, we recorded surface temperatures at around 788° Fahrenheit (420° Celsius).Thes measurements help us understand the planet’s composition and geological features, revealing details that were previously unknown.
Insights from MERTIS
Senior Editor: The Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared spectrometer (MERTIS) played a crucial role in this mission. What makes MERTIS unique?
Dr. Helbert: MERTIS is specifically designed to detect and analyze the mid-infrared radiation emitted from Mercury’s surface. This allows us to determine the planet’s mineral composition and surface roughness accurately. As we developed MERTIS over nearly two decades, we conducted extensive laboratory tests to model how different minerals react to mid-infrared light. Finally seeing these data sets in action is, as I said, truly amazing!
Discovering New Surface Features
Senior Editor: One of the exciting aspects of this flyby is the ability to see features like Bashō crater in a new light, quite literally. Can you tell us more about it?
Dr. Helbert: Certainly! Bashō Crater has been studied before by missions like Mariner 10 and Messenger, but our observations with MERTIS provide a much clearer understanding of its characteristics in mid-infrared. The data enables us to distinguish features that we could not see in visible light, including details about the crater’s mineralogy and how it relates to the surrounding terrain. We have a wealth of new surface features to analyze that have never been observed in this way before.
Anticipation for Arrival
Senior Editor: BepiColombo is scheduled to arrive in Mercury’s orbit in November 2026. How will the findings from this recent flyby guide expectations for that arrival?
Dr. Helbert: The data we’re gathering now sets the stage for our in-depth investigations when we finally reach Mercury. For instance, understanding the mineral composition from our current observations will help us refine our models about mercury’s geological history and evolution as we prepare for the orbital phase of the mission.The insights from this flyby are just the beginning of what we hope to uncover.
A Collaborative Effort
senior Editor: Before we wrap up,can you share a bit about the collaboration behind the BepiColombo mission?
Dr. Helbert: The BepiColombo project is a joint endeavor between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). This international collaboration brings together a wealth of expertise and resources.The findings from the mission will significantly contribute to our understanding of the inner Solar System, ultimately helping us connect the dots in planetary evolution.
Senior Editor: Thank you for sharing these remarkable insights, Dr. Helbert. We’re looking forward to more discoveries as BepiColombo continues its journey!
Dr. Helbert: Thank you for having me.It’s an exciting time for planetary science, and I can’t wait to see what else we uncover!
