Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos
The European and Japanese robotic explorer swooped as close as 183 miles (295 kilometers) above Mercury's night side before passing directly over the planet's north pole. The European Space Agency released the stunning snapshots Thursday, showing the permanently shadowed craters at the top of of our solar system’s smallest, innermost planet.
Mercury looks stunning in images from BepiColombo spacecraft's 6th and final flyby
"BepiColombo's 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."
Stunning new images of Mercury show the scorched planet's north pole
The photos were released by the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of BepiColombo, a mission in partnership with Japan to send a spacecraft to Mercury. This latest round of photos comes via the spacecraft's sixth flyby of the solar system's smallest planet, taking it less than 300km above Mercury's surface.
New images of Mercury captured by UK spacecraft
Stevenage-built BepiColombo makes final flyby of Mercury ahead of entering the plant's orbit in 2026.
BepiColombo spacecraft flies past Mercury
The European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the joint Mercury mission in 2018. The BepiColombo spacecraft was expected to fly less than 200 miles above the surface of the Swift Planet.
In Pics: BepiColombo Skims Over Mercury's Less Explored Regions In Final Flyby
The probe also captured the 1,500-km-wide Caloris basin, one of the largest impact structures in the Solar System. The images also feature the Nathair Facula, formed by the largest volcanic explosion on Mercury.
Stunning images capture Mercury in new light
Close-up pictures reveal dark craters that may hold a clue to Mercury’s greatest mystery – the existence of water on the planet closest to the Sun.
See Mercury up close and personal in 'incredible' new images
This is the third time a spacecraft has visited Mercury in the history of space exploration. BepiColombo’s three monitoring cameras snapped detailed black-and-white photographs as it drifted just 295km above the innermost planet.
ESA's BepiColombo To Plunge Into Unexplored Darkness In Final Flyby Around Mercury
BepiColombo is jointly designed by ESA and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency ( JAXA) and was launched in October 2018. It's primary objectives are studying Mercury's magnetosphere and interior structure and determine if there is water ice on its surface.
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BepiColombo snaps Mercury's dark craters and volcanic plains
The BepiColombo spacecraft is due to start orbiting Mercury next year, but a recent flyby has captured breathtaking images of ...
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BepiColombo to make close flyby above Mercury’s surface
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission will make its closest approach to Mercury on 8 January 2025. The spacecraft will fly just ...
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Space probe close to entering Mercury’s orbit
More than six years after its launch, the 'Bepicolombo' space probe flew past the planet Mercury for the last time on Wednesday.
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BepiColombo spacecraft flies by Mercury, sees volcanic plain and impact craters
BepiColombo just imaged Mercury in a whole new light — mid-infrared light, to be precise. On the spacecraft's fifth flyby of Mercury earlier this month (out of a planned six flybys) BepiColombo ...