Image taken by MCSE’s monitoring camera on board BepiColombo mission during Mercury’s fourth flyby on 4 September 2024.
This image is taken from a distance of 355 km from the planet’s surface.
The surface of Mercury hosts many fascinating geological features, of which the Vivaldi peak ring basin, named after the famous Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), is one of the most spectacular. Vivaldi measures 210 km across, and because BepiColombo saw it so close to the sunrise line, its landscape is beautifully emphasised by shadow.
Also in the image are the Mercury Planetary Orbiter’s medium gain antenna (top centre) and magnetometer boom (right).
Source and credits: ESA
