Astronomy Picture of the Day
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! [1] Each day a different image or photograph of our
fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a
professional astronomer.
2019 April 10
Martian Moon Phobos Crosses the Sun
Video Credit: NASA [2] , JPL-Caltech [3] , MSSS [4] , Curiosity Rover [5]
Explanation: What's that passing in front of the Sun? It looks like a moon,
but it can't be Earth's Moon [6] , because it isn't round. It's the Martian
moon Phobos [7] . The featured video [8] was taken from the surface of Mars
[9] late last month by the Curiosity rover. Phobos [10] , at 11.5 kilometers
across, is 150 times smaller than Luna [11] (our moon) in diameter, but also
50 times closer to its parent planet [12] . In fact, Phobos [13] is so close
to Mars [14] that it [15] is expected to break up and crash into Mars [16]
within the next 50 million years. In the near term, the low orbit of Phobos
[17] results in more rapid solar eclipses than seen from Earth [18] . The
featured video [19] has been sped up -- the actual transit took about 35
seconds. A similar video [20] was taken of Mars' smaller and most distant
moon Diemos [21] transiting the Sun. The videographer -- the robotic rover
Curiosity [22] -- continues to explore Gale crater [23] , most recently [24]
an area with stunning vistas and unusual rocks [25] dubbed Glen Torridon [26]
.
Retrospective: Previous APODs that appeared on April 10 [27] .
Tomorrow's picture: open space
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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff [39] (MTU [40] ) & Jerry Bonnell [41]
(UMCP [42] )
NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply [43] .
NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices [44]
A service of: ASD [45] at NASA [46] / GSFC [47]
& Michigan Tech. U. [48]
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Site notes:
[1] archivepix.html
[2] https://www.nasa.gov/
[3] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/
[4] http://www.msss.com/
[5] https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/
[6] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moo...
[7] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/mars-moons...
[8] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?releas...
[9] ap131208.html
[10] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)
[11] ap180604.html
[12] ap160529.html
[13] ap181125.html
[14] ap101201.html
[15] ap110124.html
[16] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/mars/ove...
[17] ap151122.html
[18] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/earth/ov...
[19] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details....
[20] https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details....
[21] https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/mars-moons...
[22] https://mars.nasa.gov/msl/mission/rover/
[23] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_(crater)
[24] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-gZpz8zuDQ
[25] http://redplanet.asu.edu/?p=33395
[26] http://redplanet.asu.edu/?p=32727
[27] http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=2824...
[28] ap190409.html
[29] archivepix.html
[30] lib/apsubmit2015.html
[31] lib/aptree.html
[32] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apo...
[33] calendar/allyears.html
[34] /apod.rss
[35] lib/edlinks.html
[36] lib/about_apod.html
[37] http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?dat...
[38] ap190411.html
[39] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
[40] http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
[41] https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnel...
[42] http://www.astro.umd.edu/
[43] lib/about_apod.html#srapply
[44] https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Priv...
[45] https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
[46] https://www.nasa.gov/
[47] https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
[48] http://www.mtu.edu/
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