Solar eclipses on Mars around Mars, the shadow of Phobos was seen in pictures transmitted to Earth. One of these photos was from the NASA rover "Opportunity". Solar eclipses on Mars The two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are much smaller than the Moon, greatly reducing the frequency of solar eclipses on that planet. Neither moon's apparent diameter is large enough to cover the disk of the sun, and therefore they are annular solar eclipses and can also be considered transits. Due to the small size of Phobos (about ) and its rapid orbital motion, an observer on the surface of Mars would
Exploration of Mars one of the proponents of such missions. Various asteroids, moons, and places on Mars can be mined while crops are initially being planted. This method will save lives on Earth, add potentially trillions of dollars to the world economy annually, and provide a stable colony on Mars. Some have also stated that persons should stay on Earth, but get food and resources from Mars and surrounding asteroids, moons, greenhouses in space and other structures. Some critics contend unmanned robots can perform better than humans at a fraction of the expense. If life exists on Mars, a human mission could contaminate