Quick shot! Flying over Mercury's "North Pole", it was found that it had suffered "serious damage"?

Image via European Space Agency

Author: Huang Xianghong Duan Yuechu

In the vast universe, Mercury is like a mysterious gem, attracting the attention of mankind. It is the smallest and closest planet to the sun in our solar system, and its unique properties and environment have always been a hot topic for astronomers.

Mercury's surface is covered with various craters. This is because it lacks the protection of an atmosphere, and countless asteroids and comets from the universe have been able to directly hit its surface, leaving traces of these years. Its day and night temperature difference is extremely large. During the day, under the scorching sun, the surface temperature can reach hundreds of degrees Celsius, enough to melt metals such as lead; at night, due to the lack of an atmosphere to retain heat, the temperature will drop sharply to an extremely low level, freezing cold.

A European-Japanese robotic explorer, the Bepi-Colombo spacecraft, made a major breakthrough in its exploration of Mercury recently, swooping nearly 183 miles (295 kilometers) above the planet's north pole and then flying right through it, sending back some stunning photos that are of great significance and reveal a little bit of Mercury's mysteries.

Image via European Space Agency

From the photos sent back, we can clearly see the craters on the top of Mercury that are permanently covered by shadows. These craters are like craters on the moon, but they have the unique features of Mercury. Their existence not only provides important clues for our study of Mercury's geological history, but also helps us understand impact events in the early solar system. The camera also captured nearby volcanic plains, the formation of which may be related to geological activities inside Mercury. By studying them, scientists can further explore Mercury's internal structure and evolution. In addition, Mercury's largest impact crater also appears in the photo, spanning more than 930 miles (1,500 kilometers). Such a huge impact crater witnessed the violent impact that Mercury once suffered, which is of immeasurable value to our understanding of the formation and evolution of the planet.

This flyby is the sixth and final flyby of Mercury by the Bepi-Colombo spacecraft since its launch in 2018. This maneuver is of great significance, as it allows the spacecraft to successfully enter Mercury's orbit later next year. At that time, the two orbiters on the spacecraft, one from Europe and one from Japan, will conduct a deeper and more comprehensive exploration around Mercury's poles. The two orbiters are equipped with advanced scientific instruments that can conduct detailed analysis and research on Mercury's magnetic field, atmosphere, surface composition, etc.

Mercury's magnetic field is a research area that has received much attention. Scientists speculate that Mercury's magnetic field may be related to its internal structure and evolution. By studying the magnetic field, we can understand the core composition and dynamic processes of Mercury. The photos and data sent back by the spacecraft will provide key support for these studies. For example, by observing the distribution and morphology of rocks on the surface of Mercury, combined with magnetic field data, scientists can infer the changes in the magnetic field during past geological activities, and then construct an evolutionary model of Mercury's interior.

The study of Mercury's atmosphere is also one of the important tasks of this exploration. Although Mercury's atmosphere is extremely thin, its composition and changes contain rich information. From the photos, scientists can observe the interaction between the atmosphere and the surface, as well as possible atmospheric circulation phenomena. This information will help us understand the origin and evolution of Mercury's atmosphere, as well as its position in the evolution of the atmospheres of the entire solar system planets.

Image via European Space Agency

The Bepi-Colombo spacecraft is named after the late Giuseppe (Bepi) Colombo, a 20th-century Italian mathematician who contributed to NASA's Mariner 10 mission in the 1970s and, two decades later, played a key role in the Italian Space Agency's tethered satellite program, which also flew on the U.S. space shuttle. The naming honors Colombo personally and symbolizes the importance of international cooperation in space exploration.

During this Mercury exploration mission, scientists from various countries worked closely together to interpret the data and photos sent back by the spacecraft. They exchanged their research results and insights through remote meetings and data sharing. For example, when analyzing the data of the meteorite crater, European scientists shared their methods and preliminary conclusions with their Japanese counterparts, and then jointly discussed more in-depth issues, such as the formation age of the meteorite crater and the impact source. This cross-border cooperation has enabled us to have a more comprehensive and in-depth understanding of Mercury.

With the continuous advancement of technology and the continued advancement of exploration missions, we believe that there will be more amazing discoveries about Mercury in the future. These discoveries will not only enrich our understanding of this mysterious planet, but will also further deepen our understanding of the entire solar system and write a more exciting chapter for human exploration of the universe.

In short, the exploration activities of the Bepi-Colombo spacecraft at the north pole of Mercury and the photos sent back have opened a new window to the mysteries of Mercury. Through these precious data, scientists are gradually piecing together a complete picture of Mercury, giving us a clearer and deeper understanding of this small planet in the solar system.

Reference: Spacecraft buzzes Mercury's north pole and beams back stunning photos｜Associated Press