Martian Astronomy: Percy Sees a ‘Phobos Eclipse’ From Mars

What was found or claimed: The Mars rover Percy captured an image of Phobos, the smaller of Mars' two moons, crossing in front of the Sun. The image was taken on August 12th, 2026, using the rover's Mastcam-Z camera. The transit was observed in real time, with Phobos taking under a minute to cross the Sun's disk. The image was captured as part of a broader effort to study the orbits of the Martian moons.

• Phobos orbits Mars at a distance of about 6,000 km above the surface, completing its orbit in 7 hours and 39 minutes.
• The transit provides precise measurements of Phobos' position, allowing researchers to refine its orbit with better than 100-meter accuracy.
• The transit helps study the internal structure of Mars and Phobos by measuring tidal effects caused by the moon's gravity.

What it means: The observation of Phobos transiting the Sun offers valuable scientific data for understanding the Martian system. The data helps improve the accuracy of orbital calculations and provides insights into the planet's internal structure. The measurements are crucial for future missions, such as the JAXA/NASA Mars Moons Explorer (MMX), which will approach Phobos in 2027 and return samples to Earth in 2031. The data also supports the study of the Martian moons' orbits and their impact on the planet's interior.

AI-generated summary of the original article — see the source for the full story.