NASA has recently shared a fascinating image of what they called a “space potato” on social media. However, upon closer inspection, it was revealed to be Phobos, one of Mars’ two natural moons. The photo was captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been studying the Red Planet since 2006.
Phobos, named after the Greek god of fear, is significantly smaller than Earth’s moon and orbits Mars along with its sibling moon, Deimos. Scientists speculate that these moons were once wandering rocks that were captured by Mars’ gravitational pull. Recent analysis of Phobos’ surface has suggested that it may have originated as a comet from the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
Despite their unstable orbits, scientists believe that Deimos will eventually move out into space while Phobos may eventually collide with Mars or break apart into a ring. However, this collision is not expected to occur for another 50 million years, as Phobos drifts only 6 feet closer to Mars each year.
This extended timeline grants researchers ample opportunity to study Phobos and appreciate its unique features such as white ice streaks and the Stickney Crater named after Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, the mathematician and wife of Asaph Hall, who discovered the moons in 1877.
