2007-02-07 04:07:34 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Corporations
Mars has two tiny natural moons, Phobos and Deimos, which orbit very close to the planet and are thought to be captured asteroids.
Both satellites were discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall, and are named after the characters Phobos (panic/fear) and Deimos (terror/dread) who, in Greek mythology, accompanied their father Ares, god of war, into battle. Ares was known as Mars to the Romans.
From the surface of Mars, the motions of Phobos and Deimos appear very different from that of our own moon. Phobos rises in the west, sets in the east, and rises again in just 11 hours, while Deimos, being only just outside synchronous orbit, rises as expected in the east but very slowly. Despite its 30 hour orbit, it takes 2.7 days to set in the west as it slowly falls behind the rotation of Mars, and as long again to rise.
Because Phobos' orbit is below synchronous altitude, the tidal forces are lowering its orbit and in about 50 million years, it will either crash into Mars' surface or break up into a ring structure around Mars.
Famous literary author Jonathan Swift made reference to these moons of Mars, approximately 150 years before their actual discovery by Asaph Hall, detailing reasonably accurate descriptions of their orbits, in the 19th chapter of his novel Gulliver's Travels.
2007-02-07 04:09:59 · answer #1 · answered by toneland 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
2
Mars' moons are among the smallest in the solar system. Phobos is a bit larger than Deimos, and orbits only 6,000 km (3,700 miles) above the Martian surface. No known moon orbits closer to its planet. It whips around Mars three times a day, while the more distant Deimos takes 30 hours for each orbit. Phobos is gradually spiraling inward, drawing about 1.8 meters closer to the planet each century. Within 50 million years, it will either crash into Mars or break up and form a ring around the planet.
2007-02-07 04:11:26 · answer #2 · answered by Vincent W 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Mars is better than 250 cases the diameter of Phobos and 450 cases the diameter of Deimos. you're not likely to hit upon a image showing their authentic relative length. If Deimos were shown as a million mm in diameter, then Deimos should be 2mm and Mars should be 40 5 cm for the era of.
2016-12-03 20:40:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
2 Moons
2007-02-07 04:10:36 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Mars has two moons.
Phobos - discovered in 1877
Deimos - discovered in 1877
2007-02-07 04:11:04 · answer #5 · answered by mnid007 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Hi,
Mars has 2 moons, Phobos & Diemos, named after the mythological companions of Mares/Area the god of war (Fear & Panic). They are usually considered to be captured asteriods. All of this can be seen at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars
2007-02-07 04:15:08 · answer #6 · answered by journeymouse 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.
2007-02-07 04:11:07 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Two but they are trapped asteroids not what you would traditionally think of as moons. They only have that name as they are in orbit of the planet
2007-02-07 04:23:52 · answer #8 · answered by Northern Spriggan 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Two
2007-02-07 04:15:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It has 2 moons, named as Phobos & Diemos ... Their names mean fear and panic in Latin. Phobos and Deimos are not round like our moon. ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/mars...
2007-02-07 04:18:00 · answer #10 · answered by Mijoecha 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋