ESA’s Hera probe trains its cameras at Mars’ moon Deimos photo of the day March 13, 2025 – Space.com
Flyby reveals the smaller and more mysterious of the Martian moons.
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During a flyby of Mars on Wednesday (March 12), ESA’s Hera spacecraft inaugurated use of its science instruments to image the smaller of the planet’s two moons, Deimos.The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its Hera planetary defense mission in 2024 to gather further data about the asteroid Dimorphos, which NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) impacted in 2022. To reach its target, Hera needed a gravity assist by swinging by Mars, which it during a flyby of the red planet on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.The close pass provided an opportunity for mission managers to power up and test three of Hera’s science instruments for the first time. Using the Hyperscout H hyperspectral imager, the probe captured this near infrared photo of Mars and its moon Deimos.Hera was about 620 miles (1000 km) from the 7.7-mile-wide (12.4-m) Martian moon when the image was taken. Deimos orbits approximately 14,600 miles (23,500 km) from the surface of Mars.Behind Deimos, at the top of the image, is the bright Terra Sabaea region of Mars, which is close to the planet’s equator. Huygen crater is to the bottom right of Terra Sabaea and Schiaparelli crater is to its left. To the bottom right is Hellas Basin, which is among the largest known impact craters in the solar system.Deimos is tidally locked, so the side of the moon in this photo is rarely seen.Hera’s Hyperscout H hyperspectral imager makes its observations in a range of hues that are beyond the limits of our eyes. It can view the same target in 25 visible and near-infrared spectral bands, enabling it to better characterize surface materials.Learn more about Hera’s flyby of Mars and look back at the spacecraft’s launch in 2024.You can also see images of Earth and our moon that Hera captured on its way to deep space.Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, a daily news publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of “Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018.In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History. In 2023, the National Space Club Florida Committee recognized Pearlman with the Kolcum News and Communications Award for excellence in telling the space story along the Space Coast and throughout the world. Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.SpaceX launches 21 Starlink broadband satellites to orbit from Florida (video, photos)Is our universe trapped inside a black hole? This James Webb Space Telescope discovery might blow your mindThe 1st full live-action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ remake just dropped and fine, we admit it: it looks fantastic (video)
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