Mercury ahead!

[Graeme1858]

The ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission to Mercury will make the first of six flybys of its destination planet on 1 October before entering orbit in 2025.

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration ... cury_ahead!

[KingNothing13]

Pretty wild that it is going to take 4 years and 6 passes before it can settle into orbit.

[Makuser]

Hi Graeme. Thanks for the informative link on the ESA/JAXA BepiColombo mission. And don't forget about us amateur astronomers, as this coming October 24/25 Mercury will be at greatest western elongation and rise an hour and half before the sun in our early morning east-southeastern horizon (for northern latitudes).

[Bigzmey]

That's exciting! But 1024 x 1024 pixel images, really?

[Graeme1858]

That's exciting! But 1024 x 1024 pixel images, really?

That's just the happy snappy flyby camera! When the spacecraft gets into orbit it will separate into its individual missions and switch on the science cameras!

https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration ... of_Mercury

Regards

Graeme