Considered the fourth planet from the Sun, it is no wonder that Mars has attracted the attention of people for a very long time. Geologically, the planet is very interesting. Red in color, it has endless canyons, volcanoes, and polar ice caps; this raises curiosity about the other planets and life beyond Earth. An interesting element that intrigues many people is the moons of Mars. It might seem natural to think that bigger planets mean larger numbers of moons, but Mars is an interesting planet in such a line of reasoning. In this article, we focus on the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos, their geophysical properties and history of formation so as to understand how they relate to Mars and the Solar System.
The Moons of the Planet Mars Characteristics of the Martian Moons
Phobos The Bigger Moon
Phobos is one of the fixed Mars IV and has a chaotic surface mound spotted with craters where the shocks and bludgeoning must have been. There is one Stickney crater on Phobos which is the largest on the body and is about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) in width.
Sledge Features
The finest sphere which consists of regolith filler which is dust and small pieces of stone sticks has a creased layer of dusty, broken landscapes. Some of the prominent features of the moon surface include
Craters Stickney
 Out of all the large Phobos craters the most impactful weapon is Stickney. It is this 9-kilometer diameter crater which has been the center of the craters so called ring system.
Grooves and Striations
 And finally, Phobos’ outer surface is also crisscrossed by grooves of varying widths. These could be as a result of the ‘gravitational’ effect which Mars forces upon Phobos, and it is an indication that Phobos is on a path of disintegration.
Orbit and Future
The moon Phobos is, however, lost to its owner’s gravitational pull and is now moving towards the planet. They believe that such is the degree of erosion that in approximately 50 million years, Phobos will crash to the surface of Mars or disintegrate and form a hole e around Mars.
 Deimos The Smaller Moon
 The relative prosperity of Deimos with respect to craters can be rationalized because it has less cratering than Phobos. This indicates that the surface is covered with a ‘younger’ layer that is formed when an impact occurs and creates a blanket of loose material which conceals the old craters.
 Surface Features
 Deimos has the following surface features:
 Craters
There are slight quake comparisons in that to craters than the ones on Phobos, suggesting younger Deimos in this respect. The most noticeable depression, Voltaire, is c. 3.8 km in diameter which is considered to be the most obvious structure on Deimos.
 Smooth Terrain
 It’s covered in low-lying regions with little mountainous regions in mostly uniform surfaces. Deimos’ surface is devoid of such irregularities silently; over a smooth surface is hanging touched.
 Orbit and Stability
Deimos is much farther away from the planet than Phobos and has a longer orbital period. Unlike Phobos, however, Deimos is separating from Mars at a distance of approximately 1.8 centimeters per year. This gradual recession means that whereas Phobos is on course for an apocalyptic ending, Deimos will more probably be in existence for a considerably longer duration.
Origins of the Moons of Mars
Mars has primarily two small moons, officially named Phobos and Deimos. These moons were discovered by an American astronomer Asaph Hall in the year 1877. These moons are categorically different from the larger moons which are termed as satellite moons around the gas planets like Jupiter, Saturn. Phobos and Deimos are only of irregular shapes and very small as compared to the conventional spheres and look like asteroids.
Phobos
 Phobos is largest among both and is also the longest horizontal distance from the pole which spans 22 kilometers approximately. Its orbit is so close to the planetary body that it finds itself amongst the few that possess the closest moon to the planet within the solar system. It takes only about8 hours for Phobos to complete one revolution making it faster than the rotational duration of Mars.
Deimos
 A much smaller satellite, Deimos has a mean diameter of about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) and is located farther away than Phobos. Every 30.3 approximate. Earth hours, it completes a single orbit around Mars, which means, unlike most lunar bodies, it rises on the eastern horizon and sinks on the western
The sources and formation of two of the maristrial moons, Phobos and Deimos, have remained rather controversial and so are of interest to many scientists. Several theories have been advanced:
Captured Asteroids
It is assumed from one of the theories that the moons are remnants of the asteroid belt. This is because the outer moons have an irregular appearance and composition being of C-type which is dark and carbon rich asteroids.
Formation from a Larger Body
 Another school of thought believes that Phobos and Deimos might have formed from the leftover materials of a celestial body which impacted with Mars as in the case of the Earth’s Moon. Beautiful as it may sound, it has fewer adherents explaining the small size and irregular shapes of the moons.
Co-formation
 Other groups seemed to believe that the moons are systems that messed around the planet Mars when it was created. This is less likely because the two bodies are of different material properties of the surface of mars and the classical vertical and horizontal rotation
The Scientific Significance of Phobos and Deimos
Insights from geological investigations
The geological characteristics of these moons can help understand the evolutionary history of Mars itself. Take for instance, the Phobos craters, these can help in determining the number of impact forms which occurred in the region of Mars, which gives insight on the early solar system
Potential for Exploration
Exploration of both moons has been contemplated to look for additional information about their explorability. They are no more than next to Mars and with relatively less gravity are also appealing for carrying out manned missions. Phobos in particular might be suited for conducting some activities on the Martian surface and could also be useful for in-game resource collection.
The Search for Life
The examination of Phobos and Deimos composition could also answer questions on the existence of extraterrestrial life. Since it is important to know the history of these moons, educating oneself on the findings of their formation and the soil or any organic matter in them may give scientists a clearer angle on detecting any forms of life on these moons or the likelihood of these moons holding evidence of life supporting conditions.
Mars Missions and Future Exploration of the Moons
A number of circum-Martian missions have also been aimed at the Martian satellites, including:
Mariner 7 and 9
 These pictures were the first images obtained of the rocks but did not give much science as they were from long distances.
Mars Express
 Launched in 2003 by the European Space Agency, this mission has carried out a radial study of Martian moons and this included the use of Donald wing which seeks to interrogate the surface to investigate composition and enabled analysis to be carried out on the structure.
MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution)
 It is true that MAVEN mainly has a scientific task. It is more interested in the Martian atmosphere, but it is not against the moons .
Conclusion
Mars has two satellites: Phobos and Deimos. Both of these have their own uniqueness and fascinating stories. They are not as large and regular as most other moons present in the solar system, but they have a lot of scientific relevance. Such studying these moons enhances the knowledge of not just Mars but the evolution of the Solar System as a whole.
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We may be able to discover additional late surprises about how planets form, if life exists elsewhere besides Earth, and the story of the planets in our section of space, as we proceed with the exploration of the red planet and its moons. There is a lack of doubt that with new missions scheduled in the future which would concentrate on the Martian moon system would remain an alluring challenge in the pursuit of the unknown.
