NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover was handled to a “googly eye” photo voltaic eclipse because the planet’s moon Phobos handed in entrance of the solar.
Phobos — one in every of Mars’ two moons, together with the even tinier Deimos — traveled between the Pink Planet and the solar on Sept. 30, the 1,285th Martian day of Perseverance’s mission. The rover, positioned on the western wall of Mars’ Jezero Crater on the time, captured the eclipse utilizing its highly effective Mastcam-Z digital camera system.
NASA just lately shared a brand new video of footage taken by Perseverance, exhibiting the tiny, potato-shaped moon because it moved in entrance of the solar’s disk. Phobos appeared as a darkish black object towards the nice and cozy glow of the solar, creating what seems to be like a “googly eye” (the place Phobos is the pupil) within the skies above Mars.
This isn’t the primary time that Perseverance has witnessed a photo voltaic eclipse from Mars. In actual fact, provided that Phobos circles the Pink Planet as soon as each 7.6 hours, this kind of occasion is way more widespread on Mars, in comparison with eclipses on Earth.
Associated: Behold! 1st-ever photograph of Earth and Mars’ moon Phobos captured from Pink Planet
“As a result of Phobos’ orbit is nearly completely according to the Martian equator and comparatively near the planet’s floor, transits of the moon happen on most days of the Martian yr,” NASA officers stated in the assertion sharing the brand new Perseverance video footage.
Measuring solely 17 miles (27 kilometers) at its widest level, Phobos is roughly 157 occasions smaller in diameter than Earth’s moon. Given its swift orbit, a transit of Phobos normally lasts solely 30 seconds or so. The video footage shared exhibits the eclipse in actual time, in addition to sped up by 4 occasions.
“On the identical time that Phobos appeared as a big black disc quickly shifting throughout the face of the solar, its shadow, or antumbra, moved throughout the planet’s floor,” NASA officers stated within the assertion.
Along with Perseverance, NASA’s Curiosity and Alternative rovers have additionally been handled to photo voltaic eclipses on Mars, throughout which Phobos handed in entrance of the solar. By capturing numerous eclipse occasions over the past 20 years, scientists are capable of study extra concerning the moon and the way its orbit is altering.
This knowledge is especially useful as Phobos is nearing Mars at a charge of 6 ft (1.8 meters) each 100 years. Because of this, the moon is predicted to crash into the Pink Planet inside about 50 million years, in line with the assertion.
