Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
International Business Times
International Business Times
World
Mark Moore

Spacecraft Captures Amazing Close-Up Photos of Mercury

A photo of Mercury's cratered surface from BepiColombo, a spacecraft on a European and Japanese mission to explore the planet. The image was released Thursday by the European Space Agency. (Credit: European Space Agency)

A spacecraft beamed back close-up photos of Mercury as it flew less than 200 miles above the planet's pockmarked surface.

The European Space Agency on Thursday released the stunning photos taken as the BepiColombo, the European and Japanese robotic explorer, flew about 183 miles above Mercury's dark night side on Wednesday and then passed over its north pole, showing icy craters whose floors remain in perpetual shadow.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.