Lost photos suggest Mars’ mysterious moon Phobos could be a captured comet in disguise

The Martian moon Phobos may actually be a comet — or at least part of one — that was gravitationally captured by the Red Planet long ago, suggests a new reprint study based on previously unpublished photographs.

For years, researchers have pondered the origins of Phobos and its twin, Deimos. Some have theorized that the moons are former asteroids that it lured Marsgravity, because their chemical composition is similar to that of some rocks in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, computer models simulating this capture process have failed to replicate the pair’s near-circular orbits around Mars.

Leave a Comment