<p>While analysing some old unpublished images of Mars'&nbsp;moon Phobos, researchers found something peculiar that might prove our previous understanding of the moon wrong.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Phobos, also known as the "doomed moon", is a little different than other moons of the solar system. It is much smaller than its host planet and is covered in craters with surprisingly low density. Another such moon of Mars is Deimos. Both Phobos and Deimos have similar characteristics and are very irregular in shape.</p>

<p>The close-up images of these distinct moons show Phobos has 1-kilometre (0.6-mile) long grooves running across its surface, which is unusual for a moon. The images also show Phobos&nbsp;covered in loose&nbsp;regolith (rock and dust).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-from-china-and-ukraine-team-up-on-asteroid-defense-726127">Astronomers from China and Ukraine team up on asteroid defense</a></p>

<p>There are some theories related to the formation of these moons, though none explain their unusual characteristics completely. According to one idea, the moons were created when a large object collided with Mars, creating a debris disk around Mars that slowly coalesced into the objects. Another suggests that the Moons are captured D-type asteroids, usually found in the outer asteroid belt, or with&nbsp;Jupiter's trojan asteroids.</p>

<p>The latter asteroid theory might explain their apparent composition, but it falls short of explaining their&nbsp;almost circular orbit. Meanwhile, the debris disk hypothesis might explain the circular&nbsp;orbit but doesn't do well for the moons' composition.</p>

<h2><strong>Researchers find peculiar properties on Phobos that are similar to a comet&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>A team of researchers from France and Germany came across previously unpublished photos of Phobos taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft and found the moon does not reflect light uniformly, but appears brighter when the Sun is directly overhead, something which is seen in comets.</p>

<p>"Overall, our photometric analysis has shown that Phobos photometric properties show a close resemblance to those of comet 67P: both have a red spectrum, a high surface porosity, and similar opposition effect values," the team wrote in their study, adding that the moon could be a bilobated comet (i.e. comets with two distinct lobes) or a binary comet (composed of two bodies that have come together through gravitation).</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/heres-how-nasa-is-planning-to-reach-mars-from-earth-in-months-726183">Here's how NASA is planning to reach Mars from Earth in months</a></p>

<p>When the team compared the phase integral and geometric albedo of Phobos with other dark Solar System bodies, it showed that Phobos has photometric properties similar to those of Jupiter family comets.</p>

<p>This is a unique hypothesis as thus far we have not discovered any&nbsp;comet moons, making Phobos a potential first.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The upcoming Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, launching in 2026, aims to return samples of Phobos to Earth after three years of observations. With its sample, the hypothesis can be proved true.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


While analysing some old unpublished images of Mars' moon Phobos, researchers found something peculiar that might prove our previous understanding of the moon wrong.

While analysing some old unpublished images of Mars' moon Phobos, researchers found something peculiar that might prove our previous understanding of the moon wrong. Phobos, also known as the "doomed moon", is a little different than other moons of the solar system. It is much smaller than its host planet and is covered in craters with surprisingly low density. Another such moon of Mars is Deimos. Both Phobos and Deimos have similar characteristics and are very irregular in shape. The close-up images of these distinct moons show Phobos has 1-kilometre (0.6-mile) long grooves running across its surface, which is unusual for a moon. The images also show Phobos covered in loose regolith (rock and dust). Also Read | Astronomers from China and Ukraine team up on asteroid defense There are some theories related to the formation of these moons, though none explain their unusual characteristics completely. According to one idea, the moons were created when a large object collided with Mars, creating a debris disk around Mars that slowly coalesced into the objects. Another suggests that the Moons are captured D-type asteroids, usually found in the outer asteroid belt, or with Jupiter's trojan asteroids. The latter asteroid theory might explain their apparent composition, but it falls short of explaining their almost circular orbit. Meanwhile, the debris disk hypothesis might explain the circular orbit but doesn't do well for the moons' composition. Researchers find peculiar properties on Phobos that are similar to a comet A team of researchers from France and Germany came across previously unpublished photos of Phobos taken by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Mars Express spacecraft and found the moon does not reflect light uniformly, but appears brighter when the Sun is directly overhead, something which is seen in comets. "Overall, our photometric analysis has shown that Phobos photometric properties show a close resemblance to those of comet 67P: both have a red spectrum, a high surface porosity, and similar opposition effect values," the team wrote in their study, adding that the moon could be a bilobated comet (i.e. comets with two distinct lobes) or a binary comet (composed of two bodies that have come together through gravitation). Also Read | Here's how NASA is planning to reach Mars from Earth in months When the team compared the phase integral and geometric albedo of Phobos with other dark Solar System bodies, it showed that Phobos has photometric properties similar to those of Jupiter family comets. This is a unique hypothesis as thus far we have not discovered any comet moons, making Phobos a potential first. The upcoming Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission, launching in 2026, aims to return samples of Phobos to Earth after three years of observations. With its sample, the hypothesis can be proved true. (With inputs from agencies)

Is Phobos a comet moon? Scientists notice peculiar details on Mars' moon

<p>NASA's official Instagram account published a photo of Mars Moon 'Phobos,' which resembles a potato.</p>

<p>"This is an image of Phobos, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons, as seen by our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft's @UAHiRISE camera," NASA stated.</p>

<p>"Scientists have calculated that tiny Phobos is nearing Mars at a rate of 1.8 meters (6 feet) every century, meaning it will either crash into the planet in 50 million years or break up into a ring of debris," NASA posted on the Instagram.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The photograph was obtained from a height of 6,800 kilometres (4,225 miles).&nbsp;</p>

<p>The innermost and bigger of Mars' two natural satellites, Phobos is larger than Deimos.</p>

<p>Asaph Hall, an American astronomer, discovered both moons in 1877.</p>

<p>Phobos is named after the Greek god Phobos, who is the twin brother of Deimos and the son of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus).</p>

<p>Phobos was a god who represented terror and panic (cf. phobia).&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


NASA's official Instagram account published a photo of Mars Moon 'Phobos,' which resembles a potato. "This is an image of Phobos, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons, as seen by our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft's @UAHiRISE camera," NASA stated.

NASA's official Instagram account published a photo of Mars Moon 'Phobos,' which resembles a potato. "This is an image of Phobos, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons, as seen by our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft's @UAHiRISE camera," NASA stated. "Scientists have calculated that tiny Phobos is nearing Mars at a rate of 1.8 meters (6 feet) every century, meaning it will either crash into the planet in 50 million years or break up into a ring of debris," NASA posted on the Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by NASA (@nasa) × The photograph was obtained from a height of 6,800 kilometres (4,225 miles). The innermost and bigger of Mars' two natural satellites, Phobos is larger than Deimos. Asaph Hall, an American astronomer, discovered both moons in 1877. Phobos is named after the Greek god Phobos, who is the twin brother of Deimos and the son of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus). Phobos was a god who represented terror and panic (cf. phobia). (With inputs from agencies)

Mars' moon or potato? NASA shares image of ‘Phobos’, the largest of Mars' two raggedy moons

<p>Mars&nbsp;has two&nbsp;''lumpy'' moons and their existence suggests that the red planet had rings&nbsp;around,&nbsp;like some of the larger planets in our solar system.</p>

<p>The findings were&nbsp;presented&nbsp;during the 236th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which is being held virtually this week during the pandemic.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nasa-seeking-volunteers-for-paid-isolation-during-fake-mars-mission-300990">NASA seeking volunteers for paid isolation during 'fake' Mars mission</a></strong></p>

<p>The two lumpy moons, Phobos and Deimos, were both discovered in 1877 and named after the sons of Ares from Greek mythology.</p>

<p>Mars is named after the Roman god of war, which is Ares in Greek. Phobos means fear or panic and Deimos means dread.</p>

<p>Scientists believed that they were asteroids captured by the planet's gravity for a very long time.&nbsp;Both appear to be&nbsp;similar in composition to blackish carbonaceous chondrite asteroids.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indian-origin-teenager-names-nasas-first-mars-helicopter-296108">Indian-origin teenager names NASA’s first Mars helicopter</a></strong></p>

<p>However,&nbsp;the recent research revealed that the moons are nearly in the same plane as the Martian equator. This suggests that they formed around the same time Mars did around 4.5 billion years ago.</p>

<p>Over time, Phobos&nbsp;will lose&nbsp;height as it interacts with Martian gravity and eventually, its orbit will be too low and Mars will essentially rip it into pieces that form a ring around the planet. It's estimated that this will happen within 50 million years.</p>

<p>Phobos, slightly larger than Deimos, is only about 3,700 miles above the Martian surface, no known moon in our solar system is closer to its planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Being so close, Phobos completes three orbits around Mars in one Earth day, while Deimos, which is more distant, takes about 30 Earth hours to complete an orbit.</p>

<p>The researchers believe that Phobos once had a grandparent 3 billion years ago that they called proto-Phobos — likely 20 times more massive as the small moon is now. Over the course of a few moon-ring cycles, it became Phobos — which would explain why some researchers believe it only formed about 200 million years ago.</p>

<p>A prominent ring around Mars would have pushed proto-Phobos outward, away from the planet. This would have also affected proto-Phobos' orbital resonance with Deimos and pushed it further from Mars as well.</p>

<p>The Japanese space agency, JAXA, plans to send a spacecraft to Phobos in 2024 to collect samples from the surface and return them to Earth. This may reveal more about the moon's past.</p>


Mars has two ''lumpy'' moons and their existence suggests that the red planet had rings around, like some of the larger planets in our solar system. The findings were presented during the 236th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which is being held virtually this week during the pandemic.

Mars has two ''lumpy'' moons and their existence suggests that the red planet had rings around, like some of the larger planets in our solar system. The findings were presented during the 236th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society, which is being held virtually this week during the pandemic. Also read: NASA seeking volunteers for paid isolation during 'fake' Mars mission The two lumpy moons, Phobos and Deimos, were both discovered in 1877 and named after the sons of Ares from Greek mythology. Mars is named after the Roman god of war, which is Ares in Greek. Phobos means fear or panic and Deimos means dread. Scientists believed that they were asteroids captured by the planet's gravity for a very long time. Both appear to be similar in composition to blackish carbonaceous chondrite asteroids. Also read: Indian-origin teenager names NASA’s first Mars helicopter However, the recent research revealed that the moons are nearly in the same plane as the Martian equator. This suggests that they formed around the same time Mars did around 4.5 billion years ago. Over time, Phobos will lose height as it interacts with Martian gravity and eventually, its orbit will be too low and Mars will essentially rip it into pieces that form a ring around the planet. It's estimated that this will happen within 50 million years. Phobos, slightly larger than Deimos, is only about 3,700 miles above the Martian surface, no known moon in our solar system is closer to its planet. Being so close, Phobos completes three orbits around Mars in one Earth day, while Deimos, which is more distant, takes about 30 Earth hours to complete an orbit. The researchers believe that Phobos once had a grandparent 3 billion years ago that they called proto-Phobos — likely 20 times more massive as the small moon is now. Over the course of a few moon-ring cycles, it became Phobos — which would explain why some researchers believe it only formed about 200 million years ago. A prominent ring around Mars would have pushed proto-Phobos outward, away from the planet. This would have also affected proto-Phobos' orbital resonance with Deimos and pushed it further from Mars as well. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, plans to send a spacecraft to Phobos in 2024 to collect samples from the surface and return them to Earth. This may reveal more about the moon's past.

Mars' 'lumpy' moons suggests existence of ring around it

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