Science
NASA's Perseverance rover records Phobos crossing in front of the Sun
The Mastcam-Z instrument captured the solar transit on August 12 to help scientists track changes in the Martian moon's orbit.
The short version
- NASA's Perseverance rover recorded the potato-shaped Martian moon Phobos passing across the Sun on August 12, 2026.
- The images were captured using the rover's Mastcam-Z camera system on its 1,948th Martian day of operations.
- Researchers analyze repeat solar transits to monitor gradual shifts in Phobos's orbit before it eventually impacts Mars far in the future.
Key facts
- Perseverance captured the solar transit of Phobos on August 12, 2026, corresponding to sol 1,948 of its mission in Jezero Crater.[NASA News]
- The observation was conducted using the Mastcam-Z camera system, which is operated led by Arizona State University.[NASA News]
- Comparing transit recordings allows scientists to measure and refine models of how Phobos's orbit changes over time.[NASA News]
- Phobos's trajectory is expected to eventually cause the moon to collide with the Martian surface far in the future.[NASA News]