Spatial chronogram to detect Phobos eclipses on Mars with the MetNet Precursor Lander

Abstract

Mars MetNet Precursor is a mission for Martian atmospheric measurement studies. In this work, we present an areographic temporal pattern description of Phobos solar eclipses for the establishment of an observational strategy to detect such events with the Mars MetNet Precursor Lander. The two-dimensional shadow motion model on the surface of Mars has been obtained by combining the latitude and longitude cycles firstly derived. In order to check the developed algorithm and the implemented parameters to predict the location of Phobos penumbral footprint at a given time, we compare the predictions for the observed eclipses from the surface of Mars made by Spirit and Opportunity. Overall differences are less than 0.1 s, showing how the parameterization model fits Mars Prime Meridian position. Finally, the temporal occurrence of solar eclipses for the MetNet lifetime mission is characterized and the results are applied to set up a predefined operational strategy at regular time intervals for the eclipse data acquisition with MetNet instrumentation.