Hera Says Farewell to the Earth and Moon
Author: Andy Tomaswick
Published on: October 16, 2024
Testing the equipment on an interstellar mission is one of the first things operators do when the spacecraft successfully launches. In some cases, those tests show the future troubles the mission will face, such as what happened to NASA’s Lucy mission a few years ago. However, in some cases, the mission provides us with perspectives we might never have seen before, which was the case for Hera, ESA’s mission to Dimorphos. This asteroid was deflected successfully during NASA’s DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) mission in 2022.
Hera was successfully launched on October 7th and carries a series of instruments designed to peer at the asteroids using various wavelengths. Some instruments were turned toward the Earth and Moon from about a million kilometers away as part of the mission’s Near-Earth Commissioning Phase. The resulting pictures showcase the spacecraft’s capabilities and provide a new perspective of our “terraqueous globe,” as Carl Sagan once put it, alongside our much more sterile neighbor, the Moon.
First Images from Hera
The first images of Earth and the Moon, taken by Hera, highlight the spacecraft's innovative instruments. Here are three of the major capturing systems utilized during this initial phase:
1. Asteroid Framing Camera (AFC)
This monochrome 1020×1020 image, the clearest of the three, effectively gives an idea of the scale between the Earth and the Moon, which can often be hard to gauge from the planet’s surface.
2. Thermal Infrared Imager (TIRI)
TIRI captured this image from a distance of approximately 1.4 million kilometers, three times the distance from the Earth to the Moon itself. TIRI is designed to capture infrared wavelengths, which represent heat. Observing Dimorphos over time will help scientists understand the “thermal inertia” of certain regions, revealing vital physical properties of the asteroid.
3. Hyperscout H
Hyperscout H captures Dimorphos in wavelengths that are not visible to the human eye, specifically between 650 nm to 950 nm (near infrared). The imager employs a false color depiction, showcasing shorter wavelengths in shades of blue while longer wavelengths appear red.
Significance of the Images
The Earth and Moon have been imaged millions of times before in these wavelengths. However, these images serve an essential proof of concept for the operation of Hera’s systems. The three cameras make up significant components of Hera’s “asteroid deck,” which houses several essential instruments, including a laser rangefinder and antennas for deep-space communication with Earth.
Upcoming Missions and Future Studies
While many of the other instruments will have to wait until the craft's arrival at the binary asteroid system in December 2026, researchers hope that Hera will provide more images of its journey and the asteroid's surface composition.
Learn More:
- ESA – Hera’s first images offer parting glimpse of Earth and Moon
- UT – Hera Probe Heads Off to See Aftermath of DART’s Asteroid Impact
- UT – ESA’s Hera Mission is Bringing Two Cubesats Along. They’ll Be Landing on Dimorphos
- UT – The Smallest Radar Ever Sent to Space Will Probe the Interior of Dimorphos After its Impact From DART
The ongoing assessments and future missions involving Hera will open new pathways to understanding the complexities of asteroid interactions and the potential hazards they pose. As research unfolds, our perspective on these celestial bodies will deepen significantly.
Lead Image:
Image of Earth from the AFC
Credit – ESA
For more information, visit Universe Today
