A Mars scientist shares the inside story of the NASA Curiosity rover's poignant first photo of Earth and Mars moon Phobos together in the twilight sky.

An incredible photo shows Earth photobombing Mars' moon Phobos. It is the first time ever the two have been captured together from the surface of Mars. NASA's Curiosity Mars rover used its Mast Camera, or Mastcam, to capture the view of Earth setting while Phobos is rising. The image shows Phobos on the left and Earth on the right.

The Curiosity rover captured this image on Sept. 9, 2024, during its 4,295th Martian day (called a "sol") on Mars. It's been rumbling over Martian terrain for over 12 years, and is currently ascending the 3.4-mile (5.5-kilometer) high Mount Sharp, a place that once experienced dramatic Martian floods.

That was the 4,295th Martian day that Curiosity has spent on Mars. It is believed that Phobos, or part of it, might in the future crash into Mars, so this picture shows a doomed moon and our precious pale blue dot.

NASA's Curiosity rover has captured a spectacular sight from the surface of Mars: The first-ever photo of Earth alongside the Red Planet's moon Phobos.