Perseverance Captures Transit of Phobos

A CLOSER LOOK

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera to capture the silhouette of Phobos, one of the two Martian moons, as it passed in front of the Sun on Sept. 30, 2024, the 1,285th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Perseverance has captured several Phobos transits since its landing at Mars' Jezero Crater in February 2021. By comparing the various recordings, scientists can refine their understanding of the potato-shaped moon's orbit, learning how it is changing. Eons from now, Phobos' orbit is expected to eventually send the moon toward the Red Planet's surface. Arizona State University leads the operations of the Mastcam-Z instrument, working in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems in San Diego, on the design, fabrication, testing, and operation of the cameras, and in

Explore NASA's original image record for credits and available downloads.