Mars Picture of the Day: Martian Moon, Phobos

Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera

MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-362, 16 May 2003

NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems

Mars has two satellites, Phobos and Deimos. In August and September, 1998,
the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) had four opportunities
for close fly-bys of the inner moon, Phobos. This spectacular view, taken
from the MOC archives of over 123,000 images, shows the large
crater, Stickney, toward the upper right. Grooves, or troughs,
radiate outward from Stickney and are known from Viking and Mariner 9
images to be prevalent all over the surface of Phobos.
Sunlight illuminates the scene from the
upper right. Another view of Phobos from 1998 can be seen in:
MOC2-66,
11 September 1998, “Phobos.”