Phobos

Tiny, battered and covered in scars, Phobos is one of Mars' two moons, and arguably the most dramatic! This small moon, only 22 kilometers wide, seems minuscule next to its red planet, but it fascinates scientists with its tragic fate and frantic trajectory.

Phobos orbits Mars faster than the planet rotates on its axis, so it rises in the west and sets in the east, in just 7 hours and 39 minutes ! But this proximity comes at a price: little by little, Mars is pulling Phobos towards it… until one day, in about 50 million years, it disintegrates to form a ring around Mars.

Its surface, riddled with craters and long fractures, tells the story of a celestial body battered by time and gravity. Its largest crater, Stickney, is so vast that it covers almost an entire hemisphere !

NEWS FLASH: Phobos represents the god of fear and panic in Greek mythology, inspiring paralyzing fear in his adversaries, leading them to refuse to fight. He is one of the sons of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus), and the brother of Deimos.

Phobos is the courageous moon, small but fearless, speeding around Mars, shining with determination before one day becoming a necklace of Martian rings.

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PUN : Don't be Astro-Phobos-ic!