Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2026 May 24
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                  A Martian Eclipse: Phobos Crosses the Sun
        Video Credit: [2]NASA, [3]JPL-Caltech, [4]ASU [5]MSSS, [6]SSI

   Explanation: What's that passing in front of the Sun? It looks like a
   moon, but it can't be [7]Earth's Moon, because it isn't round. It's the
   Martian moon [8]Phobos. The [9]featured video was taken from the
   [10]surface of Mars in 2022 by the Perseverance rover. [11]Phobos, at
   11.5 kilometers across, is 150 times smaller than [12]Luna (our moon)
   in diameter, but also 50 times closer to its [13]parent planet. In
   fact, [14]Phobos is [15]so close to Mars that [16]it is expected to
   break up and crash into [17]Mars within the next 50 million years. In
   the near term, the low orbit of [18]Phobos results in more rapid solar
   eclipses than seen from [19]Earth. The [20]featured video is shown in
   real time -- the transit [21]really took about 40 seconds, as shown.
   The videographer -- the [22]robotic rover Perseverance (Percy) --
   continues to explore [23]Jezero Crater on [24]Mars, searching not only
   for clues to the watery history of the [25]now dry world, but evidence
   of [26]ancient microbial life.

                       Tomorrow's picture: space globs
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    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://www.nasa.gov/
   3. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
   4. https://mastcamz.asu.edu/
   5. https://www.msss.com/
   6. https://www.spacescience.org/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/moon/
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/mars/moons/phobos/
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/photojournal/perseverances-mastcam-z-captures-a-phobos-solar-eclipse/
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131208.html
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260511.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap160529.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181125.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101201.html
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap110124.html
  17. https://science.nasa.gov/mars/
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151122.html
  19. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/overview/
  20. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA25179
  21. https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/08/74/51/69/360_F_874516932_itAmEASwXuIi97PUoP9Jz6w9mNKeMKHg.jpg
  22. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
  23. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jezero_(crater)
  24. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/all-about-mars/
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190314.html
  26. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-2020-perseverance/
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260523.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260524
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260525.html
  38. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  39. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/
  40. https://inspirehep.net/authors/1073087
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://science.gsfc.nasa.gov/astrophysics/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learn/about-science-activation/
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/