Solar SystemPEER REVIEWED

BepiColombo Gets Closer to Mercury to Study Solar Storms

By Space.Fan Editorial DeskSeptember 8, 2026 at 5:04 PM UTC

A daring flyby reveals how the smallest planet handles blasts of energy from our Sun.

Image · Space.Fan

The Drop

In September 2024, the BepiColombo spacecraft performed a daring move by flying just 100 miles above the surface of Mercury. This mission, run by space agencies from Europe and Japan, was designed to learn more about the planet's environment. Mercury is a small, rocky world that sits very close to the Sun, meaning it is often hit by harsh solar storms and high-speed charged particles. Scientists used a special tool on board called the Solar Intensity X-Ray and Particle Spectrometer to measure these particles as they zoomed past. During the flyby, the Sun was very active, sending waves of energy toward Mercury. The BepiColombo team noticed that the spacecraft’s sensors suddenly saw fewer particles as it got close to the planet. By analyzing this data, the researchers figured out that Mercury was physically blocking some of these solar particles, acting like a shield. Other particles were trapped or lost due to the way Mercury's weak magnetic field interacts with the environment around it. This is the first time scientists have been able to get such a clear look at how Mercury handles these intense space weather events. Older missions like MESSENGER gave us glimpses of the planet, but BepiColombo’s modern instruments provide much better details on how the particles move. These findings help show how solar energy changes the very ground of Mercury, which is covered in a layer of dust called regolith.

Why It Matters

Understanding how Mercury protects its surface from solar particles is important because the planet lacks a thick atmosphere. These particles can strike the surface and change its chemical makeup or cause atoms to break free into space. By studying this process, scientists can better understand how rocky planets evolve over time when they live so close to a star.

The Catch

This data was gathered during a single close encounter. While the results are clear, they represent a snapshot of Mercury's environment during a period of high solar activity. Because space conditions change constantly, researchers need more time and more orbits to see how these patterns shift during quieter times on the Sun.

Put That in Perspective

Mercury is a difficult world to study because it is so close to the Sun's intense heat. BepiColombo is currently in its cruise phase and will start its main mission in 2026. This flyby was a dress rehearsal, giving scientists a sneak peek at what they will eventually monitor around the clock from orbit.

Source September 8, 2026

Emilia K. J. Kilpua, Rami Vainio, Manuel Grande, Liam Edwards, Monica Laurenza, Eero Esko, Arto Lehtolainen, Christian Palmroos, Jan Gieseler, Philipp Oleynik, George Ho, David J. Lawrence, Scige John Liu, Stefano Massetti, Daniel Heyner, Kristin Pump, Beatriz Sanchez-Cano, Juhani Huovelin

ESA, JAXA·Nature Astronomy

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