Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
7047
pubmed:dateCreated
2005-7-7
pubmed:abstractText
The small martian satellites Phobos and Deimos orbit in synchronous rotation with inclinations of only 0.01 degrees and 0.92 degrees , respectively, relative to the planet's equatorial plane. Thus, an observer at near-equatorial latitudes on Mars could occasionally observe solar eclipses by these satellites (see ref. 1, for example). Because the apparent angular diameter of the satellites is much smaller than that of the Sun, however, such events are more appropriately referred to as transits. Transit data can be used for correcting and refining the orbital ephemerides of the moons. For example, Phobos is known to exhibit a secular acceleration that is caused by tidal dissipation within Mars. Long-term, accurate measurements are needed to refine the magnitude and origin of this dissipation within the martian interior as well as to refine the predicted orbital evolution of both satellites. Here we present observations of six transits of Phobos and Deimos across the solar disk from cameras on Mars aboard the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity. These are the first direct imaging observations of satellites transiting the Sun from the surface of another planet.
pubmed:commentsCorrections
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:status
PubMed-not-MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jul
pubmed:issn
1476-4687
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Electronic
pubmed:day
7
pubmed:volume
436
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
55-7
pubmed:year
2005
pubmed:articleTitle
Solar eclipses of Phobos and Deimos observed from the surface of Mars.
pubmed:affiliation
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-6801, USA. jfb8@cornell.edu
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article