{
  "id": 223296,
  "title": "Mars rover watches Earth disappear behind Phobos | Space photo of the day for Aug. 6, 2025",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/mars-rover-watches-earth-disappear-behind-phobos-space-photo-of-the",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-06T14:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Space.com",
    "slug": "space-com",
    "url": "https://www.space.com/space-exploration/mars-rovers/mars-rover-watches-earth-disappear-behind-phobos-space-photo-of-the-day-for-aug-6-2025"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.\"\n\nOccultations 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.\n\nThe 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.",
  "summary": "\"Phobos crosses the Martian sky three times a day, and Earth is visible for months at a stretch, but catching one directly behind the other takes planning and a little luck.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Perseverance captured Earth disappearing behind Phobos on July 2, 2026.",
    "Occultation images created from nine separate Mastcam-Z photographs.",
    "Phobos crosses Martian sky three times daily, making Earth's visibility rare."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Space.com",
        "title": "Curiosity rover spots mysterious honeycombs on Mars | Space photo of the day for Aug. 5, 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/05/curiosity-rover-spots-mysterious-honeycombs-on-mars-space-photo-of",
        "published": "2026-08-05T14:10:19.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}