NASA’s Psyche spacecraft approached Mars between May 2 and May 15, 2026, capturing a series of images in which the planet’s crescent gradually grows.
The composite starts with the smallest crescent at the center of the frame, when Mars was farthest from the spacecraft. As Psyche drew closer, the crescent expanded. The images were taken by the multispectral imager — an instrument that shoots in several bands of light at once.
Mars appeared as a crescent because of the high phase angle — the spacecraft approached from a side where most of the sunlit surface faced away from the camera. Only a thin strip was visible, lit by reflected sunlight.
After these frames, Mars no longer fit within the field of view. During closest approach, Psyche photographed the surface at high resolution. From the approach, encounter, and departure images, the team compiled a time-lapse of the entire Mars episode.
The Mars pass is a gravity assist. The spacecraft uses the planet’s pull to change speed and direction without spending fuel. Psyche’s target is the metal asteroid of the same name in the belt between Mars and Jupiter, where it will arrive by the end of the decade.