BepiColombo Makes Up-Close Measurement of Mercury's Solar Bombardment

• BepiColombo, an ESA/JAXA mission, has made six close flybys of Mercury over eight years, collecting data on its magnetic field, surface features, and how solar particles impact the planet. During its fourth flyby in September 2024, the Solar Intensity X-ray and Particles Spectrometer (SIXS) detected high-energy particles from a solar eruption that reached Mercury's surface, providing insights into how solar storms affect planets near their stars.
• The study, led by researchers from the University of Helsinki, shows how these findings could improve predictions of space weather and its impact on Earth's infrastructure. The results highlight the unique conditions of BepiColombo's fourth pass, when the spacecraft came within 165 km of Mercury's surface, and the potential for similar events on Earth. The research will also be used in the Center of Excellence in Space Resilience to assess risks to low Earth orbit operations.

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