This colored part of this image shows the first measurement ever by a spacecraft of how Mercury radiates mid-infrared light. – THAT
Dec. 10 () –
The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission became the first spacecraft to observe Mercury in mid-infrared light.
The new images, obtained with the MERTIS (Mercury Radiometer and Thermal Infrared Spectrometer) instrument, reveal variations in temperature and composition across the planet’s cratered surface.
BepiColombo is on an eight-year journey to Mercury. Along the way, it depends on the gravity of Earth, Venus and Mercury to direct its course and slow it down. On December 1, 2024 at 14:23 UTC, BepiColombo passed 37,626 kilometers above the surface of Mercury.
The first MERTIS image of Mercury reveals which parts of the surface shine brighter than others in mid-infrared light, with a ground resolution of around 26-30 km. It covers part of the Caloris basin and parts of a large volcanic plain in the northern hemisphere.
The brightness of the surface depends on the temperature, the roughness of the surface, and the minerals that the cratered surface is made of. The imaging spectrometer is sensitive to mid-infrared light with wavelengths of 7 to 14 micrometers, a range known to be particularly suitable for distinguishing rock-forming minerals, reports the ESA.
The image highlights the Basho impact cratera feature already seen by Mariner 10 and observed in detail by Messenger. Visible light images show that the Basho impact crater contains very dark and very bright material. MERTIS flyby observations reveal that the crater also stands out in infrared light.
A related mystery is why the planet looks so dark. At first glance, Mercury’s dusty, cratered surface may appear similar to that of the Moon, but its surface reflects only about two-thirds of the light that the Moon does.
Following final orbit insertion, MERTIS will provide a global map of the distribution of minerals on Mercury’s surface with a resolution of up to 500 meters.
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