phobos
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Computer Simulations Suggest Martian Moons Were Separated at Birth More Than a Billion Years Ago
The Red Planet’s two tiny moons — Phobos and Deimos — could have formed after an ancient collision, according to new research. It’s an intriguing possibility, but not everyone is convinced by the evidence.
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Bouncing Boulders May Finally Explain How Mars’ Ugliest Moon Got Its Stripes
Mars boasts two of the ugliest moons in the Solar System, including Phobos—an oddly shaped, pockmarked moon featuring a distinctive set of stripes. Astronomers have debated the origin of these grooves for decades, but a new computer simulation suggests Phobos’ stripes were made by rolling and bouncing boulders dislodged by a cataclysmic asteroid strike.
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More Evidence Mars’ Crappy Moons Might Have Formed After Giant Asteroid
Mars’ two moons, Phobos and Deimos, are not so good. They are quite small and abundantly unremarkable. In fact, Mars’ bigger moon, Phobos, is slowly crumbling apart due to stress, which is perhaps its only relatable quality. So how did Mars — a nice, round planet — give rise to such garbage moons? The answer…
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We Finally Know What Caused Those Mysterious Craters On Phobos
Phobos just can’t catch a break. Not only is Mars’ lumpy, crusted-over dust bunny of a moon destined to be ripped to pieces in 10 million years, it seems the poor thing can’t stop punching itself.