Satellites of mars
Mars has two natural satellites: Phobos and Deimos. Both are irregular and are believed to have been captured from the nearby asteroid belt (the region of the solar system roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter).
It should be noted that, unlike the terrestrial moon, these satellites do not dispel the gloom of the Martian night, from this fact comes the colloquial expression darker than the moons of Mars.[citation required]
Previous speculative guesses
The astronomer Johannes Kepler pointed out in the early 17th century century that Mars should have two satellites, based on subordinate reasoning to "numerical harmony": the Earth has one moon and Jupiter, at the time of Kepler making his statement, was believed to have only the four discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, so that Mars, which was between the two planets, had two proportionally.
A very interesting coincidence between astronomy and literature is the close resemblance between Phobos and Deimos and the speculated data for two fictional Martian satellites described by Jonathan Swift in "Gulliver's Travels", novel published in 1726, approximately 150 years before these satellites were discovered, echoing Kepler's views. The French Voltaire will also recall Kepler again in his fictional book "Micromegas", published in 1750, in which again two natural satellites of Mars are speculatively cited. See: Serendipity.
Discovery and observation
The satellites of Mars were discovered by the American astronomer Asaph Hall on August 18, 1877 and were baptized by him, giving him the names of the two sons who in Greek mythology accompanied the god Mars: Phobos (fear) and Deimos (terror).
Although they are very small and too close to the bright disk of the planet, both can be captured with amateur telescopes (from 20 cm aperture) using CCD cameras.
Orbits
| Name | Image | Diameter (km) | Mass (k) | Distance to Mars (km) | Orbital period (h) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fobos |  | 22.2 km (27×21.6×18.8) | 1.08×1016 | 9377 km | 7.66 |
| We |  | 12.6 km (10×12×16) | 2×1015 | 23460 km | 30.35 |
Possible end
A possible end for the satellites of Mars is that Phobos, being so close to the planet, is eventually torn apart by Mars, and the remnants of Phobos already torn apart by Mars Tidal Forces collide with Mars. For his part, Deimos will move away from the planet and will be an individual asteroid, until it falls on some planet, goes to the Sun or wanders eternally through the emptiness of outer space.
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Natural satellite