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Curiosity Snaps Mars Solar Eclipse

Partial eclipse was brief, tiny

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 18, 2012 8:16 AM CDT

(Newser) – The latest celestial images from Curiosity, NASA's Mars rover, show a partial solar eclipse as Martian moon Phobos crosses the sun. The eclipse isn't quite as impressive as one on Earth would be, Space.com explains, because Phobos is just 14 miles across, so it only covers a tiny portion of the sun. (Our moon is 2,160 miles across.) And, Sky News points out, Phobos is closer to Mars than our moon is to the Earth, so partial eclipses are much more common there. Scientists had been planning the Sept. 13 shots for a while, and say there will probably be a couple more opportunities to photograph similar transits.

Martian moon Phobos transits the sun on Sept. 13, 2012, in a picture taken by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover.
Martian moon Phobos transits the sun on Sept. 13, 2012, in a picture taken by NASA's Mars Curiosity rover.   (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems via Space.com)
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COMMENTS
Showing 2 of 3 comments
JoeQ
Sep 18, 2012 12:01 PM CDT
I wonder if they can see the shadow of Phobos crossing the surface of Mars from the vantage point of the orbiter.  Probably not since the center of the shadow would not be very dim.
finkster
Sep 18, 2012 9:03 AM CDT
Ah...but the real important question is does Phobos create Werewolves like our Moon does on Earth?

 
NASA • Mars • eclipse • Mars rover • Curiosity

 
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