Browsing: Deimos

Deimos is one of the two moons of Mars, the other being Phobos. It is the smaller and outermost of the two, with a mean radius of only about 6.2 kilometers, making it one of the smallest moons in the solar system. Discovered in 1877 by astronomer Asaph Hall, Deimos orbits Mars at a distance of approximately 23,460 kilometers and completes an orbit in about 30.3 hours. Unlike Phobos, which is gradually spiraling towards Mars, Deimos is slowly drifting away from the planet. The moon’s surface is covered in loose dust and its appearance is marked by impact craters and a generally smooth, dark surface, suggesting a composition of carbonaceous chondrite material. Due to its irregular shape and small size, Deimos has low gravity, making it an object of interest for future missions due to the ease of landing and takeoff.