NASA's Perseverance Mars rover recently documented a solar eclipse on September 30, 2024, as Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, passed in front of the sun. This event occurred on the 1,285th Martian day of Perseverance's mission, while the rover was positioned on the western wall of Jezero Crater.
The eclipse was captured using the rover's advanced Mastcam-Z camera system, producing a video that showcases Phobos as it moved across the sun's disk, resembling a 'googly eye' with the moon appearing as a black object against the sun's luminous backdrop.
This phenomenon is not unusual on Mars; Phobos completes an orbit around the planet every 7.6 hours, making such transits more frequent than solar eclipses on Earth. NASA noted that due to Phobos' nearly equatorial orbit and proximity to Mars, these events occur on most days of the Martian year.
Phobos, measuring only 17 miles (27 kilometers) at its widest point, is significantly smaller than Earth's moon, with a diameter approximately 157 times less. The duration of a Phobos transit is typically around 30 seconds. The shared video includes real-time footage and a sped-up version showing the eclipse.
During the transit, Phobos cast its shadow, or antumbra, across the Martian surface. Previous rovers, including Curiosity and Opportunity, have also recorded solar eclipses involving Phobos, contributing to scientific understanding of the moon's orbit and its gradual approach to Mars.
Phobos is currently moving closer to Mars at a rate of 6 feet (1.8 meters) every century, leading scientists to predict that it will collide with the planet in approximately 50 million years.