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Image of the Martian Moon of Deimos, as imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Credit: HiRISE/MRO/LPL (U. Arizona)/NASA
Many of the planets in our Solar System have a system of moons. But among the rocky planets that make up the inner Solar System, having moons is a privilege enjoyed only by two planets: Earth and Mars. And for these two planets, it is a rather limited privilege compared to gas giants like Jupiter and Saturn which each have dozens of moons.
Whereas Earth has only one satellite (aka. the Moon), Mars has two small moons: Phobos and Deimos. And whereas the vast majority of moons in our Solar System are large enough to become round spheres similar to our own Moon, Phobos and Deimos are asteroid-sized and misshapen in appearance.
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Read the rest of How Many Moons Does Mars Have? (825 words)
© mwill for Universe Today, 2015. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Asaph Hall, Asteroids, carbonaceous chondrite, Deimos, Earth, High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), mariner 9, Mars, mars global surveyor, mars reconnaissance orbiter, moons, Phobos, Solar System, the moon
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