Many mysteries of Mercury | Otago Daily Times Online News

Sometimes, when writing this column, I have to write articles well before a particular event. That's why, by the time you read these words, I sincerely hope that the BepiColombo spacecraft (whose takeoff is scheduled for October 20) has successfully launched into a mission of 39, exploration of Mercury, the innermost planet.

In addition, BepiColombo is named in memory of Giuseppe "Bepi" Colombo (1920-1984), an Italian scientist who first imagined the interplanetary gravitational assistance maneuver that saves fuel and that is now commonly used to explore the far reaching solar system.

It seems appropriate that the Colombo technique be used by the spacecraft bearing his name; BepiColombo will take advantage of close encounters with Earth and Venus to take her to her destination, where she is expected to come into orbit in 2025. It also seems appropriate that BepiColombo's target, Mercury, do well in the evening sky.

As this week's graph shows, one hour after sunset, Mercury can be considered a fairly bright object in the western sky as darkness falls.

You can use Jupiter to guide Mercury. Jupiter is by far the brightest of the two planets. Its luminosity and distinctly yellow / white hue will make it easy to spot ten degrees above the western horizon as the sky darkens. Once you have found Jupiter, take a look to the left. The mercury should be visible as a rather bright "star" at a little over three degrees.

On Sunday, Mercury will be more than 176 million kilometers from Earth. By traveling about 300,000 km per second, the light you see when you look at the planet is reflected on its rocky surface nearly 10 minutes before entering your eyes.

If you have a telescope and direct it to Mercury, you'll notice that the planet looks like a gibbous moon this week; his record is illuminated at nearly 80%.

Terrestrial telescopes do not reveal much about Mercury. This is why missions such as BepiColombo are so important. I look forward to seeing what this amazing mission will tell us about the many mysteries of Mercury.