The NASA Perseverance rover, stationed in the Jezero Crater on Mars, has witnessed an extraordinary astronomical event: the moon Phobos passing in front of the Sun. This scene was captured on September 30 and provided a rare view of the sky of Mars, where the “googly eye” effect of the eclipse was observed by the Mastcam-Z camera of the rover. The video NASA uploaded shows the impact of the interaction between the Phobos orbit and that of the Martian moon while at the same time supplying considerable information on the continued shifting of Phobos towards Mars.
Awesome Eclipse Brings ‘Googly Eye’ View from Mars
Perseverance, which has been photographing the surface and the sky around Mars since 2021, captured the silhouette of Phobos as a fast-moving shape across the face of the Sun on Mars’ west side of its Jezero Crater. Phobos, the larger of the two moons of Mars, was responsible for this particular “googly eye” effect, partially hiding the sunlight, a view not possible from Earth. The eclipse was captured on the 1,285th sol, or day on Mars, of the mission, which indicates how fast Phobos orbits around Mars at a rate of 7.6 hours to complete one whole circle. Because of its near orbit, Phobos crosses Mars’ sky periodically, and these transits only take about 30 seconds to complete.
Path and Future of Phobos in Mars
Phobos was named after the Greek god of fear by astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Phobos measures approximately 27 kilometers in diameter. Unlike Earth’s large moon, Phobos appears much smaller in the Martian sky. Its orbit will bring it closer to Mars with time, and scientists predict that this will eventually lead to a collision between Phobos and the Martian surface in just over 50 million years. More eclipses of Phobos, recorded by other Mars rovers like Curiosity and Opportunity, contribute valuable data into the understanding of Mars’ moons and their constantly shifting orbits.
Perseverance’s Mission and Future Mars Exploration
It was a NASA Mars 2020 mission objective where Perseverance explored Martian geology and astrobiology. The space mission, overseen by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA, marked the first to obtain samples from the surface material of Mars and were intended to be brought back by future joint missions with ESA. Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z, developed through a partnership with Arizona State University, Malin Space Science Systems, and the Niels Bohr Institute, takes high-resolution images that help with geological analyses. The mission is also in line with the bigger objective of NASA to prepare for human exploration of Mars, starting with Artemis missions to the Moon.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
