What Do We Know About Mars Moon Deimos?
Mars, also known as the red planet, has two small natural satellites, Deimos and Phobos. Of the two, Deimos is the smaller and the outermost moon, orbiting farther away from Mars. Deimos was discovered on August 12, 1877 by Asaph Hall, an American astronomer who also discovered Mars’ other moon, Phobos. Ever since its discovery, Deimos has been an object of interest for scientists and space enthusiasts. In this article, we explore the fascinating history and features of Mars’ mysterious moon Deimos.
Deimos is irregular in shape and has a diameter of only 15 kilometers, making it one of the smallest known moons in the solar system. It has a very low mass and density, which suggests that it is composed mainly of rock and possibly some ice. Deimos’ surface is littered with craters, some of which are as large as 7 kilometers across. These craters have remained unchanged for billions of years, suggesting that there is little geological activity or processes like tectonic movement or volcanic eruptions on the surface of Deimos.
One of the most interesting features of Deimos is its albedo, or reflectivity. Deimos’ surface is extremely bright and reflects more light than our moon, which has a relatively low albedo. It is also one of the least reflective objects in the solar system, reflecting only about 15 percent of the sunlight that falls on its surface. The cause of this high reflectivity is still a mystery, but it is suspected that it may be due to the presence of ice or other reflective materials on its surface.
Deimos’ orbit around Mars is also unusual. It is in a very low, nearly circular orbit that is almost perpendicular to the plane of Mars’ equator. This orbit is very stable and has remained unchanged for billions of years. Deimos takes about 30 hours to complete one orbit around Mars, which means that it completes more than two orbits in a Martian day. Interestingly, Deimos is gradually moving away from Mars at a rate of about 2.4 centimeters per year. This is due to the tidal interactions between Mars and Deimos, which are slowly causing the moon to drift away from the planet.
In terms of its composition, Deimos is very similar to Mars and other rocky objects in the inner solar system. However, recent observations by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have revealed the presence of carbon-bearing materials on its surface. These materials are believed to be organic in nature and could have come from comets or asteroids that impacted the moon. This discovery has sparked interest in the possibility of life on Deimos, although the likelihood of finding life on such a small and desolate moon is very low.
Overall, Deimos may be a small and unassuming moon, but it has played a significant role in our understanding of the solar system. Its unique features and unusual orbit have provided valuable insights into the formation and evolution of the Martian system, and its composition may shed light on the history of the inner solar system. As we continue to explore Mars and its moons, we can expect to learn even more about these fascinating objects and the mysteries they hold.