tHave you ever seen a potato orbiting a planet? Believe it or not, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter captured a picture of something remarkably like a spud from outer space. This cosmic tuber, a space potato spotted by NASA, however, has a more thrilling backstory.
The space potato is Phobos, the bigger of Mars’ moons. Phobos is a little, sporadically formed moon, shrouded in craters and with a reddish brown color. Because of its knotty, lopsided surface and its rectangular structure, the web immediately named it a space potato. Meanwhile, the photo of a space potato spotted by NASA was shared via social media.
A Moon By Any Other Name… Still Looks Like A Potato
While the nickname is lighthearted, Phobos is a charming item. Unlike Earth’s moon, Phobos could be very small. It is most effectively measured at 17 inches by 14 inches by 11 miles in diameter. Phobos’ bumpy, potato-like form is due to its inability to pull itself into a perfect sphere. This is because of its small-length approach.
Phobos, moreover, orbits Mars phenomenally close. It whips across the Red Planet three times each day. The celestial body travels 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers) per day. In evaluation, our moon circles Earth at a far more noteworthy distance of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers).
A Mysterious Origin Story
The starting place of Phobos and its smaller partner, Deimos, remains a topic of discussion amongst scientists. One concept shows they were once asteroids captured with the aid of Mars’ gravity. The principle suggests that these fragments may be remnants of a larger object that was significantly impacted in the past. Scientists are still working to unravel the mysteries surrounding Phobos. The picture was captured by way of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera is assisting them to examine the moon’s surface capabilities in more detail. These features may also provide clues about Phobos’ composition and records.
A Doomed Spud?
The future of Phobos appears dramatic, to mention the least. The space potato spotted by NASA, Phobos, is certainly on a collision path with Mars, as per studies. Be that as it may, this won’t seem at any point shortly. Phobos is accelerating internally at a rate of approximately 6 toes (1.8 meters) at regular intervals. This is due to its proximity to Mars. Its journey to Mars will take 50 million years due to tidal forces forming a hoop around the Red Planet.
Phobos Holds Intrigue For Future Missions
Phobos, a celestial object, not a potato, remains a fascinating subject for astronomers and space enthusiasts to explore. Future missions to Mars can also shed greater light on Phobos’ composition, formation, and remaining destiny.
Phobos’ potential for mining assets or serving as a capacity staging floor for future Martian exploration adds to its fascination. The space potato will continue to captivate our imaginations as we continue to explore the wonders of our solar system.
