NASA's Perseverance Captures Rare View of Earth Behind Phobos

• NASA's Perseverance rover successfully captured a rare astronomical event on July 2, 2026, recording Earth passing behind the Martian moon Phobos.
• The observation occurred on the 1,907th Martian day (sol) of the mission using the Mastcam-Z instrument.

Observation Details

• Earth appears as a small, bright dot transitioning from the upper left to the lower right.
• The images were captured approximately 40 minutes after sunset, during Martian twilight.
• Atmospheric conditions are depicted in the color of the Martian sky, ranging from a blue-gray hue near the horizon to a reddish-gray shade higher up.

Imaging and Collaboration

• The resulting visuals consist of composite images processed to remove background light for enhanced clarity.
• NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages the Perseverance mission.
• The Mastcam-Z instrument is operated by Arizona State University in collaboration with Malin Space Science Systems.