BepiColombo spacecraft captures stunning images of Mercury during flyby

The BepiColombo spacecraft recently captured stunning images of Mercury during a flyby on December 1, 2024. Traveling at nearly 3 kilometers per second, it was about 48,000 to 53,700 kilometers from the planet's surface. This flyby is the fifth of six planned encounters with Mercury. The spacecraft's selfie-cameras provided unique views of the planet's cratered landscape, showing contrasts between its sunlit and shadowed sides. BepiColombo's mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, aims to study Mercury's surface, magnetic field, and exosphere. The spacecraft will enter orbit around Mercury in November 2026.