Insane New Images of Mercury's Surface Captured on Probe's Final Flyby

At the surface of the small, sun-scorched planet, ESA's BepiColombo transfer probe has taken amazing close-up pictures while making its final flyby.

Mercury's past and possibly its destiny.

on January 9.

Once the spacecraft has received the final gravitational boosts from its planned flybys, it will be prepared to start its mission to collect data in 2027.

These six flybys of Mercury have provided us with extremely valuable information about this somewhat understudied world.

Mercury is a peculiar object of rock that is somewhat small compared to other planets. Continuing about the same size as our own Moon, it orbits very close to our Sun at an average distance of about 58 million kilometers (36 million miles).

being constantly replenished as meteors and plasma continually break through its skin.

At twelve noon, temperatures can reach a blinding 430 degrees Celsius, or over 800 degrees Fahrenheit. With virtually no atmosphere to retain heat, hidden cracks and the pre-dawn chill can plummet as low as minus 180 degrees Celsius.

.

Launched in October 2018, BepiColombo is set to gather information on Mercury's magnetism, gas-like atmosphere, and surface characteristics that may help shed light on these peculiarities and others.

.

Along with these new images, scientists have collected evidence of a world gradually becoming darker with time, and there is also indication of occasional revivals brought about by massive collisions and a past history of volcanic eruptions.

Proofs of Mercury's largest recorded volcanic eruption remain, still marked by a vent approximately 25 miles across in its center.

Sparkling with relative youth, having formed approximately 300 million years ago.

Aiming to gather data in 2027 from their individual altitudes and orientations above the planet.

Two spacecraft will come within about 300 miles of Mercury's surface, making these the closest visual records of the planet we'll have for a while.

Our image of Mercury, a world often shrouded in mystery, is about to become a lot clearer as the BepiColombo spacecraft gets to work as intended.