|
      
| |
Video1 - Video2
Deimos is the
smaller and outermost of Mars' two moons. It is the smallest known moon in the solar
system. Deimos is a moon of Mars and was named after an attendant of the
Roman war god Mars. Deimos is a dark body that appears to be composed of C-type surface materials. It is similar to the
C-type (blackish carbonaceous chondrite) asteroids that exist in the outer asteroid
belt. Some scientists speculate that Deimos and Phobos (the other martian moon),
are captured asteroids; however, other scientists present arguments counter to this
theory. Both Deimos and Phobos are saturated with craters. Deimos has a
smoother appearance caused by partial filling of some of its craters.
| Deimos Statistics |
| |
| Discovered by |
Asaph Hall |
| Date of discovery |
1877 |
| |
| Mass (kg) |
1.8e+15 |
| Mass (Earth = 1) |
3.0120e-10 |
| Radius (km) |
7.5x6.1x5.5 |
| Radius (Earth = 1) |
1.1759e-03 |
| Mean density (gm/cm^3) |
1.7 |
| |
| Mean distance from Mars (km) |
23,460 |
| Rotational period (days) |
1.26244 |
| Orbital period (days) |
1.26244 |
| Mean orbital velocity (km/sec) |
1.36 |
| |
| Orbital eccentricity |
0.00 |
| Orbital inclination (degrees) |
0.9-2.7 |
| |
| Escape velocity (km/sec) |
0.0057 |
| |
| Visual geometric albedo |
0.07 |
| Magnitude (Vo) |
12.40 |
In
Greek mythology, Deimos is one of the sons of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus);
"deimos" is Greek for "panic".
Discovered August 10, 1877 by Hall, photographed by Viking 1 in 1977.
Deimos and Phobos are composed of
carbon-rich rock like C-type asteroids and ice.
Both are heavily cratered.
Deimos and Phobos are probably asteroids perturbed by Jupiter into orbits that allowed them to
be captured by Mars.
Images
|
