Could Mars’ moons be the remnants of a doomed asteroid that ventured too close to the Red Planet? Unlike typical moons, Phobos and Deimos are irregularly shaped, resembling small lumpy potatoes. The origin of these moons has puzzled scientists, with two main theories proposed. One suggests that they were captured asteroids pulled in by Mars’ gravity, but this doesn’t explain their unique circular orbits around the planet’s equator. The other theory proposes that Phobos and Deimos formed similarly to Earth’s moon, through a massive impact event that created a debris disk from which the moons emerged. This intriguing possibility highlights the complex nature of our solar system’s celestial bodies.
2024-11-20 13:33:51
Originally published on www.sciencenews.org