Mars' moon Phobos: Ready for its close-up

Is the fact that it is not all that spherical an indication that perhaps it is relatively young? I’m just a discovery channel schooled planetary observer so I’m probably way off. But it is cool just the same.

Larry
damnIneedAjob.com

I have a theory, perhaps Phobos and Deimos were part of a larger body, say the size of Enceladus or Ceres, and then was struck by a collision with an impactor like the one that created the Hellas Basin. When that body cleaved into pieces, they formed Phobos and Deimos. I have a problem with the captured asteroid theory, because you really just don't see this evidence in the Solar System. Moons are ususally victims of collisions and destroyed or reformed.

Wow, ALF lost a lot of blue paint on that collision. Must have ate more than his fair share of cats that day! Paint & Body shop located on the back side of Phobos...

Phobos AND Deimos are both theorized to be captured asteroids from the asteroid belt. In fact, one of them, (Phobos, I believe) is in a deteriorating orbit and will slam into the surface of Mars, granted, that's like, 40,000 years from now.

Re: Larry

The shape of a celestial body is more indicitive of the mass rather than the age of the body. The problem with both of mars' moons is that neither one is massive enough to be spherical in shape. The more massive an object is, the more gravitational pull. Each part of Phobos pulls on every other part of Phobos. If there was more of it, it would pull itself into a spherical shape. Also other factors play into planetary shape such as angular momentum / rotation, proximity to other large bodies, ect ect. Hope that helps clarify.

Cheers

-John

Mars pulled Phobos and Deimos from the asteroid belt in 1877. There is no record of Mars having these moons till then.

Phobos was left behind during a previous passage of Planet X.

Where are the gold mining aliens?

[...] that that chick from Friends? Posted on April 14, 2008 by youreadireview CNN.com is reporting that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter(MRO) has take two close-ups of Phobos, [...]

It would be interesting to think, if Mars had oceans, what the tidal forces would have been like with having two moons. Even if they are small, they still would affect tide heights and patterns.

Was this were Doom (the origional PC game) took place? Looks kinda familiar...

Dis pictures so good. Look like a small rock I find on floor yesterday

Amazingly the Russians plan to land the Phobos-Grunt probe on this moon to collect samples and return them to Earth. Launch date currently scheduled for October 2009.

http://keithmansfield.co.uk

I just want to rotate it. The image looks like its 3D.

Phobos looks like a delapidated death star–

maybe it took a good hit during a galactic war and real is a space alien wreck in orbit around mars - imagine what we could learn from somthing like that !

the grist of science fiction

Phobos a moon tormented by space debris that could be a scientific treasure trove - Could a Phobos mars rover land there a examine the surface ?

 
The Russian probe can check for warming ?
With no atmosphere, stick a probe few meters underground.
Earth data loggers are questionable;
Russians have higher credibility than the Global Warming Activists !
  

Love those names! Phobos and Deimos = Fear and Terror.

At me such question
I can not change the menu in Windows, it looks on new why that....
Help to adjust... At me of a Window 98