"Potato Inside the Sun?"... US Mars Rover Successfully Captures Solar Eclipse [Reading Science]

NASA Releases Footage Shot on the 2nd

Solar eclipse photographed on Mars. Photo by NASA.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A high-definition video of a solar eclipse caused by Mars' moon Phobos blocking the sun has been vividly captured by humanity's cameras.

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released on the 19th (local time) a video of a solar eclipse taken by the Mars exploration rover Perseverance on Mars on the 2nd.

The video captured by Perseverance shows one of Mars' two moons (Phobos and Deimos), the potato-shaped Phobos, blocking part of the sun for about 40 seconds. Compared to a solar eclipse on Earth, which can last several hours, this is a very short duration. This is because Phobos is only about 1/157 the size of Earth's moon. Previously, NASA's rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which landed on Mars in 2004, took the first-ever photos of a solar eclipse on Mars. The rover Curiosity, which successfully landed on Mars in 2012, also performed the same mission. However, this time, Perseverance used its next-generation latest camera to capture the event, allowing us to enjoy a much higher frame rate and high-definition image of the vivid solar eclipse on Mars.

A representative from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory explained, "Observing such a solar eclipse on Mars will help us better understand the orbit of Phobos," adding, "It can also aid in better understanding how Phobos' gravity pulls on the surface of Mars, ultimately shaping the crust and mantle of the Red Planet."