NASA captures colorful glimpses of Mars’ strange little moon Phobos

[Mike Wehner]

• NASA's Odyssey orbiter captured stunning new infrared images of the bizarre Martian moon Phobos.
• Scientists have debated the origins of Phobos, and some believe it is either a chunk of Mars that was knocked off during an impact or an asteroid that was drawn in by the planet's gravitational pull.
• Understanding what Phobos is made of will help solve the mystery.

As far as moons go, the Martian moon Phobos is pretty unique. It's not a frozen ball of ice or covered in toxic hydrocarbons like some of the moons of Saturn and Jupiter, but it has a history that is shrouded in mystery. It's small, even for a moon, measuring only around 16 miles across, and its oblong shape gives it plenty of personality.

Astronomers have been interested in Phobos for some time. Its physical properties suggest that it's either a big chunk of Mars itself or a large asteroid that got a little too close to Mars and was drawn in by its gravitational pull. Now, new images from NASA's Odyssey orbiter are providing us with a look at Phobos through the glassy eyes of an infrared camera.

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NASA captures colorful glimpses of Mars’ strange little moon Phobos originally appeared on BGR.com on Tue, 9 Jun 2020 at 20:10:07 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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