The two moons ofMars,Phobos andDeimos, are much smaller than Earth'sMoon, greatly reducing the frequency ofsolar eclipses on that planet.[1][2] Neither moon'sapparent diameter is large enough to cover the disk of the Sun, and therefore they areannular solar eclipses and can also be consideredtransits.
Due to the small size of Phobos (about 20 by 25 km (12 by 16 mi)) and its rapid orbital motion, an observer on the surface of Mars would never experience a solar eclipse for longer than about thirty seconds. Phobos also takes only 7 hours 39 minutes to orbit Mars, while a Martian day is 24 hours 37 minutes long, meaning that Phobos can create two eclipses per Martian day. These areannular eclipses, because Phobos is not quite large enough or close enough to Mars to create atotal solar eclipse. The highest resolution, highest frame rate video of a Phobos transit has been released from the Mastcam-Z on Perseverance rover in 2022.[3]
Deimos is too small (about 15 by 10 km (9.3 by 6.2 mi)) and too far from Mars to cause an eclipse. The best an observer on Mars would see is a small spotcrossing theSun's disc.
March 5, 2024: NASA released images of transits of the moonDeimos, the moonPhobos and the planetMercury as viewed by thePerseverance rover on the planet Mars.
Both moons are too small to cast a shadow on Mars that can be seen from Earth. However, shortly after the firstartificial satellites were placed inorbit around Mars, the shadow of Phobos was seen in pictures transmitted to Earth.One of these photos was from the NASA roverOpportunity.
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