Views of Phobos
High Resolution
Mosaic of Phobos
This high-resolution mosaic of Phobos was created from three Viking orbiter images.
The striking feature in this image is the giant Stickney crater. Grooved fractures
caused from the impact that created Stickney extend away from the crater.
Six Views of Phobos
This picture shows six different orientations of Phobos. The images were rendered by
using Peter C. Thomas' model and the USGS airbrush map of Phobos.
Phobos
This image was taken by the Viking Orbiter spacecraft in 1977.
Striated patterns can be seen in this image. These are probably cracks caused by the
impact event of the Stickney crater shown below.
Stickney Crater
One of the most striking features of Phobos, aside from its irregular shape, is its giant
crater Stickney. Because Phobos is only 28 by 20 kilometers (17 by 12 miles), the
moon must have been nearly shattered from the force of the impact that caused the giant
crater. Grooves that extend across the surface from Stickney appear to be surface
fractures caused by the impact. Near the crater, the grooves measure about 700
meters (2300 feet) across and 90 meters (295 feet) deep. However, most of the
grooves have widths and depths in the 100 to 200 meters (328 to 655 feet) and 10 to 20
meters (33 to 65 feet) ranges, respectively.
Stickney Crater Another View
This image shows a slightly different view of the Stickney crater. A crater within
the Stickney crater is visible.
Topographic Map of Phobos
This is a topographic map of Phobos. It is based upon the shape model of Phil
Stooke. As with all maps, it is the cartographer's interpretation; not all features
are necessarily certain given the limited data available. This interpretation
stretches the data as far as possible.
Conformal Projection of Phobos
This shows two different views of Phobos in a Morphographic Conformal Projection.
One view shows the leading side and the other the trailing side.