Mars rover watches Earth disappear behind Phobos | Space photo of the day for Aug. 6, 2025

NASA's Perseverance rover recently captured a rare event, observing Earth vanish behind Mars' moon Phobos in the Martian sky. These composite images, released by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, were taken on July 2, 2026, during the rover's 1,907th Martian day. The images were assembled from nine separate photographs, captured by the rover's Mastcam-Z instrument, as it aimed upwards into the hazy Martian atmosphere to monitor Earth, appearing as a delicate dot, crossing behind Phobos.

This celestial occurrence, known as an occultation, is derived from the Latin term "occultare," meaning "to hide."

Occultations on Earth typically take place when the moon obscures background stars or when planets pass behind the moon. Mars boasts two moons, Phobos and Deimos, with Phobos being the larger and innermost of the two. The exact origins of these moons remain uncertain, with theories suggesting they may have formed from the asteroid belt or resulted from a significant impact near or on Mars.

The image's creation involved meticulous planning and required Perseverance to be positioned precisely at the appropriate time. Phobos crosses the Martian sky three times daily, and Earth is visible for extended periods, yet witnessing Earth directly behind Phobos necessitates both preparation and a bit of luck, according to Mark Lemmon, a Mastcam-Z co-investigator at the Space Science Institute.

Additionally, Perseverance has also documented Phobos passing in front of the sun, an occurrence termed a "Martian solar eclipse" by JPL.