Phobos
Phobos is the larger and closer of the two moons of Mars. It orbits 6,000 km (3,700 mi) from Mars, closer to its planet than any other moon.
Facts About Phobos:
- Both Martian moons were discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall.
- Surface temperatures range from about -4°C (25°F) on the sunlit side to -112°C (-170°F) on the dark side.
- Phobos gets closer to Mars by about 2 metres per century. Within 30 to 50 million years it will either collide with the planet, or break apart and become a ring system around Mars.
Classification: Moon (orbiting Mars)
Names: Phobos, Mars I
Discovered: 1877 by Asaph Hall
Naming: Named after the Greek god Phobos, son of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus). Phobos is the personification of fear (phobia).
Magnitude: 11.8000 (app)
Diameter: 22.52 km
Mass: 10659000000000000 kg
Surface Temperature: -40 K
Orbital Period: 0.3189
Albedo: 0.0710
Volume: 5783.61 km3
Density: 1.8760 g/cm3
Surface Area: 1548.3 km2
Escape Velocity: 11.3900 km/s
Adjective: Phobian