ESA’s Hera probe trains its cameras at Mars’ moon Deimos photo of the day March 13, 2025


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.

What is it?

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.

Where is it?



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