The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) has made significant and groundbreaking observations of Deimos, one of Mars’ smaller moons, using all three of its science instruments during repeated flybys. The new findings have challenged the long-standing theory that Mars’ moons, Phobos and Deimos, are captured asteroids, pointing instead to a planetary origin. The observations provide unprecedented insights into Deimos’ composition and structure, including high-resolution images taken during the closest flybys of the moon, the first-ever observations made in the extreme and far ultraviolet, and the first well-resolved hyperspectral data of Deimos in the thermal infrared.
The EMM’s observations also revealed previously unexplored regions on the far side of Deimos that have never been compositionally investigated before. During the closest flyby, the Hope spacecraft passed approximately 100km from Deimos, allowing for detailed observations and data collection.
Hessa Al Matroushi, EMM Science Lead, stated that the origins and composition of Phobos and Deimos are still uncertain, and any new information on the two moons, especially the rarely observed Deimos, has the potential to unlock new understanding of Mars’ satellites. The close observations of Deimos so far suggest a planetary origin rather than reflecting the composition of a type D asteroid as previously postulated.
These findings were presented during a special session at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna. The EMM’s observations are expected to contribute significantly to the scientific community’s understanding of Mars’ moons and the formation of the planet’s satellite system.
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