First of all, please see this video released by the European Space Agency (ESA).This short video with a playback time of about 1 minute includes the ESA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Mercury exploration mission that approached Mercury on June 23, 2022, Japan time.“BepiColombo”56 monochrome images taken by the spacecraft are used.
The video is divided into three parts. In the first and second parts, the images of Mercury captured by two cameras in different shooting directions are projected respectively. In the final third part, the images from the two cameras are combined into one, and you can recognize the distant figure of Mercury as a sphere.
[▲ BepiColombo The distant Mercury taken during the 2nd Mercury swing-by (video)]
（Credit: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO; Music composed and performed by Anil Sebastian and Ingmar Kamalagharan.）
BepiColombo is JapanMercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO)And in EuropeMercury surface probe “MPO (Mercury Planetary Orbiter)”This is a joint Mercury exploration mission between Japan and Europe.Here in Europe, which is in charge of the flight of both spacecraft before they are put into orbit around Mercury.Electric propulsion module “MTM (Mercury Transfer Module)”Has been added, and currently 3 aircraftFly in a vertically stacked stateContinues.
The BepiColombo spacecraft uses the gravity of celestial bodies to change the orbit of the spacecraft in order to enter the orbit of Mercury.“Swing-by”The technique9 times in total(1 time on Earth, 2 times on Venus, 6 times on Mercury), and the orbit will be changed little by little. What took place on June 23, 2022Second Mercury swing-byAnd the spacecraftApproaching and passing up to about 200km from the surface of MercuryWhile doing this, I observed and photographed.
[▲ An imaginary view of the BepiColombo spacecraft approaching Mercury for the first time. The electric propulsion module (MTM) is spreading the two solar array paddles. Above that is the European Mercury Surface Explorer (MPO), and the Japanese “Mio” (MMO) is mounted inside a cylindrical sunshield (Credit: ESA / ATG medialab)].
BepiColombo’s Electric Propulsion Module (MTM)“Monitoring camera (MCAM)”It is equipped with three monochrome cameras (resolution 1024 x 1024 pixels) called, and in the video at the beginning, images taken using MCAM2 and MCAM3 were used. According to ESA, the images from the monitoring camera used in the videoTaken for about 15 minutes from a few minutes after the closest approach(The distance from the surface of Mercury at the time of shooting is about 920km to 6099km for MCAM2 and about 984km to 6194km for MCAM3).
■ Photographing the huge terrain “Caloris Planitia” with a diameter of 1550km and rare volcanic candidates
[▲ Mercury (with annotations) taken using the MTM monitoring camera “MCAM2”. A huge Caloris basin is shown (Credit: ESA / BepiColombo / MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)]
This image is one of the images taken with MCAM2 during the 2nd Mercury swing-by of the BepiColombo spacecraft with the name of the terrain added. The rod-shaped object on the left side of the image is the magnetometer of the Mercury surface probe (MPO), and the one on the lower right is a part of the MPO’s medium gain antenna.
The part brighter than the surroundings in the vicinity of the center of the imageCaloris basin(Caloris Planitia). The Caloris Planitia, believed to have formed 3.9 billion years ago, is Mercury’s largest collision terrain.Diameter 1550km.. It is a huge terrain that is nearly one-third the diameter of Mercury itself (4880km).It is reflected in the imageAje Crater(Atget, diameter 100km)Kertez Crater(Kertesz, diameter 32km), bothInside the Caloris PlanitiaIt is in.
According to ESA, the bright-looking Caloris PlanitiaLava with high reflectanceIt is covered with basin so that it surrounds the basin.Lava with low reflectanceIs said to be spreading.What is interesting is that it covers the inside and outside of the basin.Lava with different reflectances are about the same ageIt is believed to be (about 100 million years younger than the Caloris Planitia). Measuring and understanding the differences in the composition of these lava is one of BepiColombo’s key goals.
[▲ Mercury (with annotations) taken using the MTM monitoring camera “MCAM3”. Heaney Crater has a rare volcanic candidate on Mercury (Credit: ESA / BepiColombo / MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO)]
On the other hand, this is an image taken with MCAM3 facing in a different direction with the name of the terrain added. The round object on the right side of the image is the MPO’s high gain antenna.
According to ESA, the relatively smooth plains underneath the high-gain antenna erupted 3.7 billion years ago.Plains formed by lava flowsThis is an example.It seems that Mercury’s volcanic activity did not form a volcano like that seen on Earth, but it appears next to the high gain antenna.Heaney Crater(Heaney, diameter 125km) The small hills inside are rareVolcano candidateIt seems to be one of the important targets for high-resolution shooting in BepiColombo’s mission.
Also, it is reflected on the Heaney crater.Amaral CraterAround (Amaral, 105km in diameter), countless small dents can be seen. According to ESA, this is a secondary crater formed by the fall of ejecta emitted during the formation of the Amaral crater, which is a common terrain around Mercury’s new crater. It is about.
In addition, in order to enter the orbit of Mercury in December 2025, the BepiColombo spacecraftRepeat the Mercury swing-by 4 more times.. The next 3rd Mercury swing-by isJune 20, 2023Is scheduled for.
Source
- Image Credit: ESA/BepiColombo/MTM, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO; The music is composed and performed by Anil Sebastian and Ingmar Kamalagharan.
- ESA – Second helpings of Mercury
Text/Matsumura Takehiro