Q:
How many satellites does Mars have?
A:
Quick Answer
Mars has two very small satellites orbiting it, Phobos and Deimos. Scientists believe that both moons are actually asteroids captured via Mars's gravitational field. Made of dark rock that includes a great deal of carbon, both satellites have many craters due to collisions with debris.
Continue Reading
Credit:
Detlef van Ravenswaay
Picture Press
Getty Images
Full Answer
Phobos, with a 13-mile radius, is the larger of the two moons, and it is 5,830 miles from Mars. It circles Mars three times per day. Deimos has a radius of eight miles, and it is 14,580 miles from Mars. It circles Mars once very 30 hours.
Asaph Hall discovered both moons in 1877. He named them after the sons of the Greek god Ares whose Roman counterpart is Mars.
Learn more about PlanetsSources:
Related Questions
-
Q:
What is the Phobos monolith?
A: The Phobos monolith is a large, upright boulder on Mars's moon Phobos that was first imaged by the Mars Global Surveyor mission in 1998. It is 279 feet acr... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What do the moons that circle Mars look like?
A: The two moons of Mars, Deimos and Phobos, are dark and feature numerous craters. They are covered with dust and rocks and show evidence of landslides.... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How big is Mars?
A: Mars is the second smallest planet in the solar system, with a diameter of just over 4,212 miles and a circumference of 13,256 miles. Its diameter is about... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Where is Mars located?
A: Mars is the fourth planet from the sun. Its average distance from the sun is 141,633,120 miles, approximately 1.5 times that of Earth.... Full Answer >Filed Under:
