Perseverance rover captures breathtaking view of Martian moon Deimos
Nasa's Perseverance rover has delivered a breathtaking new view from the Red Planet, capturing the elusive Martian moon Deimos shining in the pre-dawn sky.The image, taken at 4:27 a.m. local time on March 1, 2025—the 1,433rd Martian day (sol) of the mission—was created using the rover's left navigation camera, which pushed its technical limits to photograph the faint celestial body.advertisementPerseverance's camera employed its maximum long-exposure setting of 3.28 seconds for each of 16 individual frames. These were combined onboard into a single composite image, resulting in a total exposure time of about 52 seconds.
The extended exposure was necessary to reveal Deimos, a moon so small — 12 kilometers across — that it appears more like a bright star than a planetary satellite when seen from Mars.
Two of the brighter white specks are Regulus and Algieba, stars that are part of the constellation Leo. (Photo: Nasa)
The resulting photograph is hazy, a product of both the low light before dawn and the digital noise introduced by the long exposures.advertisementMany of the white specks scattered across the Martian sky are likely noise or cosmic rays, but two of the brighter points are actually distant stars: Regulus and Algieba, both part of the constellation Leo. The Martian landscape below is dimly illuminated, with features such as Woodstock Crater visible about half a mile from the rover's location as it journeyed toward an area known as Witch Hazel Hill.This image not only highlights Perseverance's technical prowess but also underscores the ongoing mysteries of Mars' tiny moons. Deimos, tidally locked to Mars, completes an orbit every 30 hours and 17 minutes, and its origins — along with those of its sibling Phobos — remain a subject of scientific debate.The Perseverance mission continues to push the boundaries of planetary exploration, offering humanity rare glimpses of the Martian sky and paving the way for future discoveries. Must Watch
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