The Moons of Mars Explained -- Phobos & Deimos MM#2

less than 1m read

·Nov 2, 2024

The moons of Mars explained. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. They are really tiny. How tiny? Compared to Mars or our own moon, pretty tiny. Although, tiny is a matter of opinion. Their surface area is up close to some of the smallest states on Earth, like Luxembourg and Malta.

Although Phobos and Deimos are in no way lightweight, in reality, their gravitational pull isn't even strong enough to bring them into spherical form. So they look more like huge potatoes than moons. The most popular theory of their origin is that they were once part of the asteroid belt until Jupiter's massive gravity kicked them out of it.

So Mars could catch them. Phobos orbits Mars at an average distance of 9,400 kilometers, once every 7 and a half hours. It's on a collision course and gets 2 meters closer to Mars every year. In 50 to 100 million years, it will be either ripped to pieces by Mars' gravity and be transformed into a beautiful ring, or it will crash into Mars.

The energy released in this collision would kill everything on the small planet. So, if there are humans on Mars by then, they should build very strong bunkers. Smaller Deimos, on the other hand, is slowly escaping Mars. Eventually, it will fly off into space and leave a lonely red planet behind.

So, in a few hundred million years, Mars will be moonless and on its own. Unless, it manages to catch itself another asteroid.

English subtitles by Dan9er.

England in the Age of Exploration

Life's Biggest Mysteries

View All

Energy Conservation| Energy Resources and Consumption| AP Environmental Science| Khan Academy

In this video, we’re going to talk about energy conservation, or trying to save or lower the amount of energy that we use. Now, a lot of y’all might already have a sense that that is a good thing, while others of you might say, “Hey, why can’t I just use …

Seneca | Why Worry About What Isn't Real? (Stoicism)

In a letter to his dear friend Lucilius, Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote: “There are more things, Lucilius, likely to frighten us than there are to crush us; we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” End quote. Chronic worriers tend to be more …

The Genius of Cycloidal Propellers: Future of Flight?

The first cycloidal propellers were thought up in the early 20th century, but now the same principles are being repurposed for modern vertical takeoff and Landing Vehicles. Later we’ll be checking out the company’s cycl Tech, who are doing just that, and …

I f***ed up by not buying this house (the one that got away)