I have a new story published on my Across the Universe blog over at The Guardian.

"Curiosity's science mission is under way. After watching Mars' moon Phobos pass the Sun, the rover is now eyeing up its first rock (called Jake) for analysis

The first data from Nasa's Curiosity is in. At the weekend, as expected, the rover took a video of Phobos slipping across the face of the Sun.

The first images of the event show the rocky moon taking a small bite out of the fiery disc. These alignments, known as transits, occur twice every Martian year (which is about twice as long as an Earth year) and last for just 30 seconds.

Images of the event pinpoint Phobos in its orbit, allowing astronomers to precisely define its path around Mars. This information could eventually allow Phobos to be used as a probe of Mars' internal structure. ..."

Read the full story here.