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PHOBOS AND DEIMOS (moons of Mars)
| Mars has two small moons: Phobos and Deimos. Phobos (fear) and Deimos (panic)
were named after the horses that pulled the chariot of the Greek war god
Ares, the counterpart to the Roman war god Mars. Both Phobos and Deimos
were discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall. The moons appear
to have surface materials similar to many asteroids in the outer asteroid
belt, which leads most scientists to believe that Phobos and Deimos are
captured asteroids. |
Quick Facts about Phobos and Deimos
| Mean distance from Mars (km) |
9377 |
23436 |
| Orbital period (Mars days) |
0.31891 |
1.26244 |
| Major axis (km) |
26 |
16 |
| Minor axis (km) |
18 |
10 |
| Mass (x 1015 kg) |
10.8 |
1.8 |
| Mean density (kg/m3) |
1900 |
1750 |
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Last
Updated: 10 Jan 2001 |
