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Recent images of Mercury’s enigmatic north pole provide a view of the eternally dark, icy craters that may contain layers of ice several feet thick, despite Mercury being the nearest planet to the sun.
During the day, Mercury’s surface can soar to a scorching 800 degrees Fahrenheit (430 degrees Celsius), as stated by NASA. However, the planet lacks an atmosphere to retain that warmth, which means that dark areas on Mercury are synonymous with cold. At night, temperatures can drop to minus 290 F (minus 180 C). The north pole of the planet is marked by craters whose interiors remain perpetually in shadow. Studies have indicated that the bottoms of these craters are likely to harbor substantial layers of water ice.
The latest images of these icy craters originate from BepiColombo, a collaborative initiative involving the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the European Space Agency (ESA). The BepiColombo spacecraft is set to commence orbiting Mercury in 2026. Currently, it’s performing a series of flybys to position itself for that orbit. On Jan. 8, one of those flybys brought it within 183 miles (295 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. BepiColombo also flew directly over Mercury’s north pole.
Regions of everlasting shadow
The spacecraft transmitted back a sequence of striking images, including those of the continuously shaded Prokofiev, Kandinsky, Tolkien, and Gordimer craters. It also captured images of Borealis Planitia, where colossal lava flows occurred 3.7 billion years ago, forming a smooth expanse, according to ESA. The images also depict Mercury’s largest impact crater and a perplexing, boomerang-shaped lava formation.
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A third image illustrates Nathair Facula, a bright area remaining from volcanic activities in the planet’s history. Areas on Mercury that are younger tend to be brighter, according to ESA; although scientists are uncertain about the composition of the planet’s surface, it evidently darkens over time. Adjacent to Nathair Facula is another luminous area, the Fonteyn crater, formed by an impact 300 million years ago.
Once the BepiColombo spacecraft enters Mercury’s orbit, it will split into two orbiters that will concentrate on the planet’s north and south poles. Among the inquiries it will explore, as indicated by ESA, is whether water ice genuinely exists in the planet’s craters and what materials constitute Mercury’s surface.
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