Fear, Panic and Excitement: A Close Encounter With a Mysterious Moon
Asaph Hall, an American astronomer, discovered two small moons circling the planet Mars in 1877. They were later named Phobos and Deimos after the Greek…
Phobos News
Phobos is one of the two small moons orbiting Mars, the other being Deimos. Discovered by American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877, Phobos is the larger and closer of the two moons, with an average radius of about 11 kilometers (7 miles). It orbits Mars at a distance of approximately 6,000 kilometers (3,700 miles), making it one of the closest moons to its planet in the solar system. Phobos is irregularly shaped and heavily cratered, with a surface covered in dust and loose rocks. Its most prominent feature is the large impact crater named Stickney, which spans about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) in diameter. Due to its proximity to Mars, Phobos orbits the planet in just under 8 hours, causing it to rise and set twice each Martian day. Scientists believe Phobos may be a captured asteroid or a remnant from a larger body that was destroyed. Its eventual fate is to either crash into Mars or break apart and form a ring around the planet due to tidal forces.
What Does a Solar Eclipse Look Like on Mars? NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover Captures “Amazing” Video
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover used its Mastcam-Z camera system to shoot video of one of Mars’ two moons, Phobos, eclipsing the Sun. It’s the most…
Incredible Video of Solar Eclipse on Mars – Captured by NASA’s Perseverance Rover
The Mastcam-Z camera recorded video of Phobos, one of the Red Planet’s two moons, to study how its orbit is changing over time. NASA’s Perseverance…
Mars Express Orbiter Unravels Mystery of Largest Martian Moon, Phobos, Using “Fake” Flybys
By performing a series of real and ‘fake’ flybys, ESA’s Mars Express has revealed how Mars’ largest moon, Phobos, interacts with the solar wind of…
Japan Space Agency: Why We’re Exploring the Moons of Mars
Dr. Ryuki Hyodo shares the science behind JAXA’s upcoming MMX mission to the Martian moons, and the unique features of this journey to Mars’s domain….
Japan’s Mission to Mars’ Moon Phobos Will Bring a Sample Home by 2029
Japan’s space agency (JAXA) is gearing up for its Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, with plans to have a sample from Mars’ moon Phobos return…
Japan’s Martian Moons eXploration Mission Will Return a Sample From Mars’ Moon Phobos
The role of the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission in the new era of Martian life exploration. The surface of the Martian moon, Phobos, is…
Could the Surface of the Martian Moon Phobos Reveal Secrets of Mars’ Past?
The Martian moon Phobos orbits through a stream of charged atoms and molecules that flow off the Red Planet’s atmosphere, new research shows. Many of…
Surprise on Mars – Unexpected Reaction to Solar Eclipses From Martian Moon Phobos
NASA’s InSight mission provides data from the surface of Mars. Its seismometer, equipped with electronics built at ETH Zurich, not only records marsquakes, but unexpectedly…
Three Stunning New Views of Mars’ Moon Phobos Captured by NASA’s Odyssey Orbiter
Taken with the infrared camera on NASA’s Odyssey orbiter, the images reveal temperature variations aboard the small moon as it drifts into and out of…
Spectacular Imagery of Solar Eclipses Caused by Phobos and Deimos
When NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover landed in 2012, it brought along eclipse glasses. The solar filters on its Mast Camera (Mastcam) allow it to stare…
Martian Moon Phobos May Have Formed From Impact With Home Planet
The weird shapes and colors of the tiny Martian moons Phobos and Deimos have inspired a long-standing debate about their origins. The dark faces of…
New Mars Model Details the Violent Birth of Phobos and Deimos
Southwest Research Institute scientists posit a violent birth of the tiny Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, but on a much smaller scale than the giant…
Mars Odyssey Observes Martian Moons Phobos and Deimos
Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars, are seen in this movie put together from 19 images taken by the Mars Odyssey orbiter’s Thermal Emission…
Electrically Charged Particles Could Impact Future Missions to Martian Moons
New research from NASA suggests that the solar wind creates a complex electrical environment around Phobos, giving its night side and shadowed craters a static…
NASA’s Mars Odyssey Views Phobos in a Different Light
NASA’s Mars Odyssey has gained its first look at the Martian moon Phobos, pursuing a deeper understanding by examining it in infrared wavelengths. The Thermal…
NASA’s MAVEN Spacecraft Observes Mars Moon Phobos
New observations from NASA’s MAVEN Mission have scientists closer to solving the mystery of how Mars’ moon Phobos formed. In late November and early December…
Mars’ Moon Phobos Shows Signs of Structural Failure
New research presented at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences reveals that the long, shallow grooves lining the surface of Phobos…