5/27/2023 0 Comments Just enough research by erika hall![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() That supports theories that both Deimos and Phobos - Mars’ larger moon, which is nearly 17 miles (27 km) across at its widest point - formed in orbit when a large object, perhaps a dwarf planet, struck Mars in the distant past. But they suggest Deimos is made of rocky material similar to Mars itself, and not the carbon-rich rock that would be expected if Deimos was a captured asteroid, as scientists once suspected. These initial readings are preliminary and will be refined in later flybys. The mission to take the new photos of Deimos, with Mars looming large in the background, allowed the probe’s two spectrometers to record crucial data about the moon’s composition. “That will help us understand the moon.” Are Phobos and Deimos captured asteroids? During additional flybys of Deimos planned for later this year, “we’re going to get to around 200 kilometers, and that’s still pretty good data,” she says. ![]()
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