NASA Perseverance Rover Captures Solar Eclipse on Mars; Watch Phobos When It Crosses the Sun

A solar eclipse can also be witnessed on Mars. NASA Perseverance rover captured the exact moment the Martian moon, Phobos, crossed the sun.

Solar Eclipse on Mars

Phobos, one of the moons on Mars, which means "Fear" in Greek, was photographed on Feb. 8 by the NASA Perseverance rover. From Percy's current perch in Jezero Crater, the potato-shaped Moon was caught passing by in front of the sun.

Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) released 68 solar eclipse photos from Perseverance's raw picture archive. One of two reconnaissance imagers perched high on Perseverance's neck-like mast, frequently used to capture expansive views of the Red Planet's environment, the rover left Mastcam-Z camera was utilized to capture the clip.

Phobos is an asteroid-sized moon orbiting a few thousand miles (or kilometers) above the surface of Mars and is still falling toward the planet. It was initially identified by American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877. Eventually, the gravitational pull of the Red Planet should cause it to break.

Scientists are unsure of the origins of Phobos and Deimos, the other Moon of Mars, as they are unsure if they originated from collisions, the asteroid belt, remnant material from the early solar system, or some other source.

Though many have made flybys over the years, no spacecraft has yet been able to land on Phobos. However, in 2026, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) intends to launch the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission to Phobos.

What Is Solar Eclipse?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and the Earth at just the appropriate time. Sometimes, the Moon just partially blocks the Sun's light. In this instance, it is called a partial solar eclipse.

At other times, the Moon blocks all of the Sun's light. We refer to this as a total solar eclipse.

The Moon shadows a portion of the Earth when it blocks the Sun's light. As Earth revolves, the shadow cast by the Moon leaves a path. The route of wholeness is the name of the footpath.

You must be in the path of totality during an eclipse if you wish to witness complete darkness. The Moon covers the Sun's light for a few minutes along that course. When there is a full moon, it appears to be nighttime since it gets so dark.

It could be unclear if you don't understand what's happening. Even animals can become confused.

However, this complete blackness may also be cool for scientists who study the Sun's corona or atmosphere. The halo is faint. Generally speaking, visibility is poor due to the Sun's more excellent brightness.

However, during an eclipse, the light from the corona is the only thing visible because the Moon blocks the Sun's light.

Total solar eclipses visible to humans over land are rare occurrences. However, when they do occur, the Moon provides a view of the stunning ribbons and streams of the corona for scientists and the general public. A solar eclipse can also help researchers learn more about Saturn's ring system.

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