Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
September 14, 1998
Explanation: Landing on the Martian Moon Phobos might be harder than previously thought. The reason: Moon dust. Recent photographs of Phobos have indicated that a layer of fine powder estimated to be a metre deep covers the whole surface. Evidence comes from infrared pictures that indicate the rapid speed that Phobos' surface cools after sunset. The above high-resolution picture of Phobos was taken last month by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft now orbiting Mars. The larger of two Martian moons, measures about 20 kilometres across, and orbits so close that Mars' gravity should rip it apart in another 50 million years.
Authors & editors:
NASA Technical Rep.: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC
&: Michigan Tech. U.