The BepiColombo spacecraft has completed its sixth and final flyby of Mercury, capturing stunning images that shed new light on the smallest planet in our solar system.
This flyby, conducted on January 8, 2025, marks a significant milestone for the joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). It also brings the spacecraft closer to its ultimate goal of entering Mercury's orbit in 2026 to begin its primary scientific mission.
BepiColombo Captures Stunning Close-Up of Mercury's Shadowed Craters
During the flyby, BepiColombo passed just 185 miles (295 kilometers) above Mercury's surface, providing detailed views of its surface and offering new insights into its geological features.
The spacecraft flew over Mercury's north pole, capturing images of craters that are permanently in shadow — some of the coldest places in the solar system.
According to Space.com, these shadowed craters, such as Prokofiev and Tolkien, have long fascinated scientists who suspect that water ice could be hidden within them. This will be an area of focus when BepiColombo officially begins its mission.
Despite Mercury's extreme proximity to the Sun, the planet's surface is surprisingly dark, reflecting only about two-thirds of the light that the Moon does. This unique characteristic allows scientists to spot bright features on the surface, indicating areas where new material has recently been exposed.
One notable discovery during this flyby was the Nathair Facula, the site of the largest known volcanic explosion on Mercury. This volcanic feature, along with nearby craters, will help scientists investigate the planet's volcanic history and the reasons behind the darkening of its surface over time.
BepiColombo Reveals Volcanic Plains and Ancient Lava Flows on Mercury
BepiColombo's mission is to provide a rare opportunity to study Mercury's surface in unprecedented detail. The spacecraft's images have revealed vast volcanic plains, like the Borealis Planitia, which formed from ancient lava flows that filled existing craters, DailyGalaxy said.
These plains provide a window into the planet's thermal history, with scientists observing features such as wrinkle ridges that formed when the planet's interior cooled and contracted billions of years ago.
In addition to these discoveries, BepiColombo's images have also captured the Caloris Basin, the largest impact crater on Mercury.
A peculiar boomerang-shaped lava flow near the basin has raised questions about the origins of this feature, and scientists are eager to explore whether it is related to volcanic activity or asteroid impacts.
The flybys have been instrumental in gathering data that will shape BepiColombo's upcoming scientific investigations. Project Scientist Geraint Jones emphasized the importance of these flybys, noting that they have already provided invaluable information about Mercury, and the team will continue to analyze the data in the coming weeks.
The spacecraft's next major milestone will occur in November 2026, when it enters a polar orbit around Mercury, beginning its long-awaited mission to unlock the planet's many mysteries.
