ESA’s Hera Probe Captures Stunning Image of Mars’ Moon Deimos During Flyby – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel
ESA’s Hera probe captured a rare near-infrared image of Mars’ moon Deimos during a gravity-assist flyby, offering new insights into the enigmatic Martian moon’s composition and origins.On March 12, 2025, the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Hera spacecraft captured an extraordinary near-infrared image of Mars’ moon Deimos during a flyby of the Red Planet. This marks the first use of Hera’s science instruments, providing a detailed view of Deimos silhouetted against Mars—a rare perspective of the lesser-known Martian moon.Hera, launched in 2024, is primarily a planetary defense mission aimed at studying the aftermath of NASA’s DART impact on the asteroid Dimorphos. However, to reach its target, the spacecraft needed a gravity assist from Mars, allowing mission scientists to test its hyperspectral imaging system for the first time.The flyby placed Hera 620 miles (1,000 km) from Deimos, which orbits Mars at approximately 14,600 miles (23,500 km). The image, taken with the Hyperscout H imager, reveals surface details in 25 spectral bands, providing scientists with unprecedented insight into Deimos’ composition and origin.Deimos, the smaller of Mars’ two moons, measures only 7.7 miles (12.4 km) across and remains one of the most enigmatic objects in the solar system. Unlike Phobos, which is predicted to crash into Mars in a few million years, Deimos maintains a stable orbit. Scientists have long debated whether it is a captured asteroid or a remnant of an ancient impact on Mars.The Hera spacecraft’s instruments are designed to analyze the moon’s surface materials, potentially offering clues about its true origin. The spacecraft’s hyperspectral imaging technology allows scientists to see beyond the limits of human vision, mapping Deimos in ways never before possible.The newly released image showcases Deimos against the backdrop of Mars, with its distinct surface features illuminated in near-infrared light. Visible in the background are major Martian landmarks, including:Since Deimos is tidally locked to Mars, meaning it always shows the same face to the planet, this perspective of its far side is rarely observed. Hera’s flyby has provided a unique opportunity to study this unexplored region of Deimos up close.The Hera mission is not specifically designed to study Mars, but this flyby served as an important test of its instruments before reaching Dimorphos, the asteroid it will study following NASA’s DART mission impact. The successful use of its Hyperscout H imager during this event confirms that Hera is fully operational and ready for its primary mission.With its advanced imaging capabilities, Hera is expected to play a key role in future asteroid deflection research, providing critical data for planetary defense strategies. However, its unexpected contribution to Martian moon exploration adds yet another dimension to its scientific impact.As ESA continues to analyze the data from Hera’s flyby, Deimos’ secrets may finally come to light, bringing us closer to understanding the mysterious origins of Mars’ smallest moon.Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/03/esas-hera-probe-image-mars-moon-deimos/
