Perseverance Captures Another Phobos Transit
NASA's Perseverance Mars rover successfully captured an image of Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, passing in front of the Sun. This event, known as a transit, was observed on August 12, 2026, which was the 1,948th Martian day (sol) of the mission. The rover utilized its Mastcam-Z camera for this observation.
The captured animation has been color-enhanced to give viewers an idea of how the transit would appear to a human on the Martian surface, viewed through protective solar eclipse glasses. This visual representation helps to make the celestial event more relatable.
Since its arrival at Jezero Crater in February 2021, Perseverance has documented multiple transits of Phobos. By analyzing these repeated observations, scientists are able to refine their understanding of the irregular, potato-shaped moon's orbit and how it is evolving over time. It is predicted that in the distant future, Phobos' orbit will lead it to crash into the surface of the Red Planet.
The Mastcam-Z instrument is operated by Arizona State University. This operation involves collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, which is responsible for the cameras' design, fabrication, testing, and operation. Additionally, the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen contributes to the design, fabrication, and testing of the calibration targets.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, is responsible for the construction and ongoing operations of the Perseverance rover.
For more details on the Perseverance mission, visit: science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
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