Scientists Suggest Mars’ Moon Phobos Might Be a Captured Comet
Phobos Anomaly For years, scientists have debated the origins of Mars' irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos. Traditionally, theories posited that these moons were either created by a massive impact event, captured asteroids, or fragments of …
For years, scientists have debated the origins of Mars' irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos. Traditionally, theories posited that these moons were either created by a massive impact event, captured asteroids, or fragments of a larger moon. However, a new hypothesis suggests Phobos might actually be a captured comet.
New Research Insights
A team of French and German scientists has proposed this intriguing theory based on data from the Mars Express spacecraft, which captured images of Phobos between 2004 and 2022. Their study, detailed in a preprint for Astronomy and Astrophysics, points out that Phobos shares characteristics with comets, particularly in how it reflects sunlight and its porous, sand-like surface.
Phobos and Deimos' Possible Shared Origin
The scientists suggest that Phobos could be a comet captured by Mars' gravitational field in the distant past. If this theory holds, it implies that Deimos might also originate from the same comet, which was potentially torn apart by Mars' gravitational forces.
Upcoming Martian Moons Exploration
To explore these theories further, Japan plans to launch the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission within this decade. This mission will conduct detailed studies of Phobos and Deimos, including attempting to land on Phobos and returning samples to Earth. Analyzing these samples could reveal crucial information about their chemical composition and origin, potentially solving the mystery of Mars' moons.
Further Reading
Learn more about the ongoing discoveries and mysteries surrounding Phobos: Probe Detects "Unknown Features" Inside Martian Moon Phobos.
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