In June 2023, the joint European Space Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) BepiColombo mission performed a flyby of its target planet — Mercury. During the flyby, the spacecraft experienced a variety of phenomena mainly caused by the planet’s magnetic field. BepiColombo measured these phenomena, providing scientists with a preview of Mercury’s magnetic field and its unique features, which BepiColombo is expected to investigate in-depth when it enters orbit around Mercury in November 2026.
While scientists have known of Mercury’s magnetic field for decades, it is approximately 100 times weaker at the planet’s surface than Earth’s magnetic field, and scientists still have many questions regarding its intensity and interactions. Mercury’s magnetic field creates a “bubble” around the planet called the magnetosphere, and given Mercury’s proximity to the Sun, this magnetosphere is constantly bombarded with energized particles that are ejected from the surface of the Sun.