Incredible Video of Solar Eclipse on Mars – Captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover – SciTechDaily
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to record video of Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, eclipsing the Sun. It is the most zoomed-in, highest frame-rate observation of a Phobos solar eclipse ever taken from the Martian surface.
Several Mars rovers have observed Phobos crossing in front of the Sun over 18 years. Spirit and Opportunity made the first observations back in 2004; Curiosity in 2019 was the first to record a video of the event. Each time these eclipses are observed, they allow scientists to measure subtle shifts in Phobos’ orbit. The moon’s tidal forces pull on the deep interior of the Red Planet and its crust and mantle; studying how much Phobos shifts over time reveals something about how resistant the crust and mantle are and, thus, what kinds of materials they’re made of.
The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission is part of NASA’s Moon to Mars exploration approach, which includes Artemis missions to the Moon that will help prepare for human exploration of the Red Planet. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS/SSI
Or read more on this story from the following additional news sources:
- Incredible Video of Solar Eclipse on Mars – Captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover SciTechDaily
- This 40-second solar eclipse seen from the surface of Mars is sublime Ars Technica
- NASA’s Perseverance Rover Sees Solar Eclipse on Mars NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Wow! Perseverance rover captures gorgeous video of solar eclipse on Mars Space.com
- Nasa rover could find proof of ALIEN life on Mars as it reaches ‘ancient Martian river’… The US Sun
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