The two moons of Mars, long a source of puzzlement for scientists, were originally one, according to new research from the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich ETH.
Deimos and Phobos, discovered in 1877, have long been thought to be asteroids drawn into the Red Planet’s orbit. But using computer simulations, scientists have concluded they are rather the remains of a single larger Martian moon that was broken apart between 1 and 2.7 billion years ago, ETH Zurich said in a press releaseExternal link.
Captured objects would be expected to follow an eccentric – at a random inclination – around the planet. However, the orbits of the Martian moons, which look like potatoes, are almost circular and move in the equatorial plane of Mars. This is what led the team to study the problem in the first place, according to the press release.
According to the study, Deimos is moving slowly away from Mars, while Phobos is expected to crash into it in 39 million years’ time or be destroyed by gravitational forces in the meantime.
A Japanese probe scheduled to be launched in 2025 will explore Phobos and return samples to Earth. The ETH Zurich researchers expect that these samples will provide details about the interior of the Martian moons that will enable more precise calculations of their origin.
More
More
‘Awesome’ to be involved in historic Mars rover landing, says Swiss firm
This content was published on
NASA science rover ‘Perseverance’ has landed safely on Mars as part of its search for traces of microbial life on the Red Planet.
Lindt & Sprüngli reportedly considering shifting Easter bunny production to US
This content was published on
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Lindt & Sprüngli could relocate the production of its gold-wrapped Easter bunnies to the US in order to circumvent the import tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
Swiss petition launched against curbing 30km/h speed limit
This content was published on
The Traffic Club of Switzerland (TCS) has submitted a petition to the Federal Chancellery, challenging the 30km/h speed limit on local roads.
Swiss government backs abolishing imputed rental value
This content was published on
The abolition of the imputed rental value in federal tax is intended to reduce incentives for high private debt and simplify the tax system. On Friday, Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter spoke on behalf of the Federal Council in favour of Parliament's proposal.
This content was published on
After a strong start to the year, the Swiss economy has slowed considerably. In the second quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) rose by just 0.1 per cent on an adjusted basis compared to the previous quarter.
This content was published on
The Ticino cantonal criminal court in Lugano has found a priest guilty of multiple sexual assault and sexual offences with minors. The man was sentenced to a conditional 18-month prison term.
Swiss disappointed by failed plastics agreement in Geneva
This content was published on
Switzerland will not get its Geneva agreement against plastic pollution. Chief negotiator Felix Wertli spoke on Friday morning of his delegation's disappointment.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.