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Bepicolombo

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Mercury Shrinks Faster Than Thought, Rewriting Inner-Core Clues
science23 days ago

Mercury Shrinks Faster Than Thought, Rewriting Inner-Core Clues

German Aerospace Center researchers estimate Mercury’s global shrinkage is 10–30% faster than previously thought, implying a total contraction of about 7.5–23 km over its history. By combining contraction features with surface roughness maps, they suggest hidden deformation under rough terrain may account for the higher rate, which could indicate a larger or more complex metal core and alter models of Mercury’s geodynamics. The finding uses older MESSENGER data; higher‑resolution maps from ESA’s BepiColombo arriving in 2026 are expected to refine the estimate further.

via Universe Today|
#bepicolombo#contraction#mercury
Mercury Shrinks Faster Than Thought, Revealing a Cooling Core
science26 days ago

Mercury Shrinks Faster Than Thought, Revealing a Cooling Core

New estimates show Mercury has contracted by as much as 14.5 miles since its formation about 4.5 billion years ago, or nearly 1% of its current radius, and at a faster rate (up to 30% quicker) than previously thought, driven by cooling and contraction of its metallic core that wrinkles the planet’s surface; findings rely on surface features and data from missions like BepiColombo, which will orbit Mercury later this year.

via The New York Times|
#bepicolombo#geophysics#mercury
Mercury shrinks far more than scientists expected, reshaping its core story
space26 days ago

Mercury shrinks far more than scientists expected, reshaping its core story

Mercury has contracted up to 14.5 miles in diameter—roughly 30% more than earlier estimates—due to cooling of its iron core. Hidden surface roughness had masked the loss, but a new roughness map shows rugged regions carry fewer wrinkles while debris around major craters hides contractions. The finding implies a larger metallic core and fewer light elements, with implications for Mercury’s formation and magnetic field; upcoming laser mapping by the BepiColombo mission will help confirm the results.

via Mashable|
#bepicolombo#geophysics#mercury
Mercury Shrinks More Than Thought, Offering Clues About Its Hidden Interior
science27 days ago

Mercury Shrinks More Than Thought, Offering Clues About Its Hidden Interior

A Geophysical Research Letters study using MESSENGER data suggests Mercury has contracted by about 7.2 miles, 10-30% more than previously thought, likely exposing new details about its large core and interior; the upcoming BepiColombo mission will provide topographic data to test these contraction estimates and deepen understanding of how rocky planets evolve.

via KSL.com|
#bepicolombo#contraction#mercury
Mercury’s shrinking pace may be faster than scientists expected
science28 days ago

Mercury’s shrinking pace may be faster than scientists expected

A new study suggests Mercury is shrinking up to 14 miles (23 kilometers) in diameter—about 30% faster than previously thought—likely due to cooling of its large iron core; the rough surface from impacts can hide wrinkles, and data from the BepiColombo mission, along with earlier Messenger measurements, should help confirm how much Mercury has contracted.

via NBC Connecticut|
#bepicolombo#mercury#messenger
BepiColombo Reaches Mercury, Opening a New Era of Inner-Solar-System Science
science29 days ago

BepiColombo Reaches Mercury, Opening a New Era of Inner-Solar-System Science

The European Space Agency's BepiColombo mission arrived at Mercury on Sept. 3, becoming only the third spacecraft to visit the innermost planet. After an eight-year journey powered by gravity assists across billions of miles, the Mercury Transfer Module separated from the stack, marking a landmark milestone for ESA and JAXA. The two science modules—MPO and Mio—will begin primary mission phases in the coming years to study Mercury's interior, magnetic field, and environment, with goals including understanding Lopate scarps and the planet’s exosphere.

via Good News Network|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa
Mercury’s shrinkage accelerates beyond prior estimates
science29 days ago

Mercury’s shrinkage accelerates beyond prior estimates

A Geophysical Research Letters study finds Mercury may be contracting faster than thought—possibly up to 14 miles in diameter (about 30% more than earlier estimates)—as its hot core cools and the surface wrinkles tighten. Researchers say rough, debris-covered regions may hide some shrinking, with findings building on NASA’s MESSENGER data and awaiting confirmation from the BepiColombo mission’s closer Mercury observations to refine how Mercury’s evolution is playing out.

via NBC News|
#bepicolombo#mercury#messenger
BepiColombo’s 9.9-Billion-Kilometer Odyssey to Mercury Captured in New Video
space1 month ago

BepiColombo’s 9.9-Billion-Kilometer Odyssey to Mercury Captured in New Video

ESA/JAXA’s BepiColombo released a stitched video of its nearly eight-year, 9.9-billion-km cruise to Mercury, showing gravity assists past Earth, Venus and Mercury. The footage, from the MTM cameras, has been cleaned of light-artefact streaks. The mission’s final arrival sequence begins in late 2026, with the Mercury Transfer Module separating and MPO and Mio entering Mercury orbit in November 2026, marking the first time two spacecraft will orbit Mercury simultaneously for detailed mapping.

via BBC Sky at Night Magazine|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa
Two space probes near Mercury to map the sun-baked world
science1 month ago

Two space probes near Mercury to map the sun-baked world

Two spacecraft in the European Space Agency–Japan's JAXA BepiColombo mission are nearing Mercury after a nearly decade-long voyage; they separated from their carrier and are on track to enter Mercury's orbit in November, then split into two probes in December to map the planet from different altitudes, studying Mercury's magnetic field, interior, and surface features.

via HuffPost|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa
BepiColombo Nears Mercury with Twin Orbiters Ready to Unlock New Secrets
space1 month ago

BepiColombo Nears Mercury with Twin Orbiters Ready to Unlock New Secrets

After an eight-year journey powered by electric propulsion and nine gravity assists, ESA’s BepiColombo has shed its Mercury Transfer Module and remains on track to enter Mercury orbit on November 21; the European Mercury Planetary Orbiter and Japan’s Mio will separate in December and begin coordinated science, with routine observations starting next April as engineers monitor the critical arrival sequence.

via Ars Technica|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa
BepiColombo Goes for Mercury with Twin Probes
space1 month ago

BepiColombo Goes for Mercury with Twin Probes

Eight years after launch, ESA/JAXA's BepiColombo will separate its two science spacecraft—Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and Mio—from the carrier this December for coordinated Mercury observations; by April 2027 the twin probes will begin detailed, simultaneous studies of Mercury’s surface, gravity, magnetosphere and exosphere, including searches for water ice in shadowed polar craters and mineral mapping without iron to shed light on how Mercury formed and the inner solar system.

via Space|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa
Eight-Year Voyage Ends as BepiColombo Begins Mercury Arrival
space1 month ago

Eight-Year Voyage Ends as BepiColombo Begins Mercury Arrival

After an eight-year journey through the inner solar system, the ESA–JAXA BepiColombo mission has begun its arrival at Mercury. The Mercury Transfer Module released its payload, initiating a six‑month sequence of maneuvers to place ESA’s Mercury Planetary Orbiter (MPO) and JAXA’s Mio into Mercury orbits. Orbital insertion is targeted for Nov. 21, 2026, followed by Mio’s separation around Dec. 9 and the MOSIF sunshield jettison on Dec. 16; MPO will reach its polar orbit on March 10, 2027, with science operations starting in April 2027. The mission launched Oct. 19, 2018, from Kourou after Earth and multiple planetary flybys, but a 2024 solar‑panel issue slowed the trajectory, delaying Mercury arrival from 2025 to 2026.

via Space|
#bepicolombo#esa#jaxa