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[7] [34] Both moons have very circular orbits which lie almost exactly in Mars's equatorial plane, and hence a capture origin requires a mechanism for circularizing the initially highly eccentric orbit, and adjusting its inclination into the equatorial plane, most probably by a combination of atmospheric drag and tidal forces, [35] although it ...
Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet, has no moons, or at least none that can be detected to a diameter of 1.6 km (1.0 mi). [2] For a very short time in 1974, Mercury was thought to have a moon. Venus also has no moons, [3] though reports of a moon around Venus have circulated since the 17th century.
[122] [123] Mars has two tiny moons: [124] Phobos is Mars's inner moon. It is a small, irregularly shaped object with a mean radius of 11 km (7 mi). Its surface is very unreflective and dominated by impact craters. [D 7] [125] In particular, Phobos's surface has a very large Stickney impact crater that is roughly 4.5 km (2.8 mi) in radius. [126]
Mars’s moons don’t get much credit. But they’re small, lifeless, and weird little things. Here’s everything you should know about them. ... 24/7 Help. For premium support please call: 800 ...
Artist's rendering of NASA's 2001 Mars Odyssey orbiting Mars. The following table is a list of Mars orbiters, consisting of space probes which were launched from Earth and are currently orbiting Mars. As of August 2023, there have been 18 spacecraft missions operating in Mars' orbit, 7 of which are currently active.
Phobos has dimensions of 26 by 23 by 18 kilometres (16 mi × 14 mi × 11 mi), [7] and retains too little mass to be rounded under its own gravity. Phobos does not have an atmosphere due to its low mass and low gravity. [19] It is one of the least reflective bodies in the Solar System, with an albedo of about 0.071. [20]
The good news is, you don’t have to have a telescope to enjoy Mars at opposition! Just look up into the sky after sunset, and Mars will be there. It will be hard to miss!
Some 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth was only 100 million years old or so, a Mars-sized protoplanet named Theia smashed into our planet, ejecting loads that eventually returned to the Earth’s ...