NASA spacecraft captures a unique image of Mars alongside its moons.

On its long journey to the outer solar system, NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft made a planned detour — and embraced a wonderful opportunity to capture stunning photographs. In a single frame, the uncrewed Europa Clipper captured Mars alongside both of its tiny moons, Phobos and Deimos, as they gracefully moved through space, illuminated in soothing infrared light. The image presented below is more than just a captivating scene; it provides a rare glimpse of a planetary trio seldom seen together, while also giving mission engineers an important chance to fine-tune the spacecraft’s thermal camera as it passed by the Red Planet.

From about 560,000 miles away — more than twice the distance between Earth and the moon — Europa Clipper’s infrared camera captured 200 individual frames over the course of 20 minutes on February 28. These frames were later stitched together to reveal the warm glow of Mars, Phobos, and Deimos. The result is a dreamlike view: Mars takes center stage, surrounded by artful image-processing touches. In the upper left, Deimos appears as a delicate glowing dot, while Phobos, the larger and closer moon, shines nearby. To bring the gentle glow of the dim moons into view — each about 250 times fainter than Mars — engineers brightened the image.

Visible on the Martian surface is a dark patch near the top, marking the cold northern polar cap, where temperatures can drop to around -190 degrees Fahrenheit. A circular area highlights Elysium Mons, one of Mars’ majestic volcanoes. The Martian moons are rarely seen together, let alone alongside their host planet. The first time Phobos and Deimos were captured together in an image was back in November 2009, when the Mars Express orbiter achieved this remarkable feat, according to the European Space Agency. This portrait, featuring the two moons aligned one behind the other, required extensive planning, precise knowledge of their orbits, and fortuitous viewing conditions.

Scientists possess limited knowledge about Phobos and Deimos, the two smallest known moons in the solar system. Both are described as “blacker than coal and resembling battered potatoes,” according to ESA. Phobos, the larger of the duo at about 14 miles wide, orbits Mars three times a day, while Deimos, slightly smaller at just seven or eight miles across, completes its orbit every 30 hours. Currently, researchers are exploring the origins of the moons, with some theories suggesting they may have been asteroids captured in Mars’ orbit, while others propose they could be fragments of Mars itself, ejected by a colossal impact billions of years ago.

The new image from Europa Clipper was taken using one of the spacecraft’s thermal sensors, which is designed to detect heat rather than visible light. This instrument will later play a crucial role in exploring Jupiter’s moon Europa, a frozen world believed to harbor a salty ocean beneath its icy crust — possibly creating conditions suitable for life. The Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System, or E-Themis, will help identify areas where Europa’s inner ocean might interact with its frozen shell — a vital clue in the quest to uncover signs of alien life.

The spacecraft utilized Mars’ gravity in March to adjust its trajectory, a maneuver known as a gravity assist, on its way to the outer solar system. This close encounter provided an ideal moment to test instruments — and to appreciate the beauty of Earth’s neighboring planet. Just a few days later, on March 12, another spacecraft also made a gravity assist visit and captured some photographs. This robotic spacecraft is part of the European Hera mission, which aims to study the asteroid NASA intentionally impacted three years ago.

Europa Clipper launched from Florida in October 2024 and is set to arrive at the Jupiter system in 2030. Once there, it will conduct nearly 50 flybys of Europa, gathering detailed measurements of its surface, interior, and chemistry. If NASA finds that Europa offers a habitable environment, a subsequent mission may return to explore further to see if any life exists there.