Martian solar eclipse?

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berberry

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Will we ever have pictures (or do we already) of a solar eclipse seen from the surface of Mars and caused by the earth? What would such an eclipse look like, i.e. how much of the sun's disc would be covered by earth and how long would the darkening last?

Thanks!
 
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MeteorWayne

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It would be more properly described as a transit rather than an eclipse. The earth would be only a tiny dot on the face of the sun (I'm sure Andrew can provide the details. It would be smaller than a Venus transit from our viewpoint.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Venus ... _07-49.jpg

1882_transit_of_venus.jpg
 
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menellom

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Not even Mars' moons could eclipse the Sun on Mars, nevermind something as distant Earth.

This is the closest you would ever see to a Martian solar eclipse - a Phobos transit.

15-ml-06-phobos2-A067R1.jpg
 
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3488

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From Mars on Friday 10th November 2084 there will be an Earth Transit of the Sun from Mars.
EarthTransit2084.jpg


Sol 709 MER B Opportunity caught Phobos squarely in front of the Sun.

Phobos's irregular shape is clearly visible.
MERBOpportunityPhoboswholeeclipseSo.jpg


I have bumped up an old thread on SS&A which is about Astronomy from Mars.

Andrew Brown.
 
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neilsox

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If Phobos darkens Mars that much, then I would think total solar eclipse by Phobos could be observed from the surface of Mars. Perhaps the photos are CCD = charge coupled device as seen from farther from Mars than Phobos, with the contrast near maximum, and we are seeing that Mars reflects sunlight better than Phobos. Neil
 
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MeteorWayne

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I don't believe that's Phobos' shadow on the martian surface. That would be too small and diffuse to be noticed. I believe that's an image of the sun with phobos passing between, from the martian surface looking up...i.e. a true transit/eclipse view. The only reason Phobos is that big is because it's orbit is so low, since it is a tiny object.
 
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CalliArcale

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Correct, that is a picture of what I guess we could call an annual eclipse on Mars. ;-) Phobos, silhouetted against the Sun.

However, I seem to recall seeing pictures of Phobos' shadow on the surface of Mars. Diffuse, but not invisible. I have to head out soon, or I'd try to dig one up. Hopefully Andrew's seen one!
 
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3488

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Hi Calli,

Yes here we are, Phobos's shadow over Xanthe Terra on Mars.
phobos_shadow.jpg


The MER B Opportunity Sol 709 image is Phobos in front of the Sun as seen from the surface of Mars at Meridiani Planum.

Andrew Brown.
 
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B_Cary

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Could one moon produce a solar eclipse as seen from the other one? E.g. seen from Deimos in a favorable configuration, could Phobos cover the sun? Could Deimos as seen from Phobos?

This is giving me ideas--when one Galilean moon passes between the sun and another Galilean moon... Many possible combinations there!
 
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CalliArcale

Guest
Sweet, I knew you'd have one, Andrew. ;-)

B_Cary: I don't know if Phobos and Deimos can do that to one another, but spacecraft have observed eclipses by large moons before. It's very scientifically useful. Cassini got some great pictures while in Titan's shadow, for instance. It looks much like an annual solar eclipse on Earth, because the sunlight is being defracted through Titan's atmosphere. For Saturn, it's easier right now, near the equinox; the rest of Saturn's long year, it's not so easy for shadows to fall on other moons.

Titan while in Saturn's shadow (dimly lit by sunlight diffracted through the atmosphere of Saturn):
PIA11508.jpg


Janus with the shadow of Saturn's rings passing over it:
PIA11694.gif


Titan eclipsing the Sun:
PIA12511.jpg


Titan's shadow transiting Saturn (a solar eclipse on Saturn, basically):
PIA11648.jpg


Saturn's rings sitting on Mimas like a cap:
PIA10469.jpg


Io eclipsed by Jupiter, but still quite bright in places (by New Horizons):
PIA09354.jpg


Phobos moving into Mars' shadow, taken by Spirit:
PIA03612.jpg


Phobos and Deimos, both eclipsing/transiting the Sun, taken by Opportunity (at different times); the littler one is Deimos:
PIA05518.jpg


There are also lots of pictures of one moon eclipsing another in the Cassini collection, but both objects are illuminated; they are eclipsing one another from Cassini's point of view, not eclipsing the Sun.
 
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3488

Guest
Hi Calli,

That one of Titan in Saturn's shadow is incredible.

Below

Enceladus in eclipse in Saturn's shadow.
Enceladusineclipse31October20083Cas.jpg


Mars moon Deimos going into Mars's shadow as seen by MER A Spirit.
MERASpiritDeimoseclipse.jpg


Mars moon Phobos rising in the west out of Mars's shadow in dawn twilight. MER A Spirit.
MERASpiritPhoboseclipse.jpg


Saturn moon Titan eclipsing the Sun in colour as seen from Voyager 2.
TitannightsideVoyager2.jpg


Andrew Brown.
 
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