![]() Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechĪll of the THEMIS infrared images are colorized to show temperature variations and are overlain on THEMIS visible-light images taken at the same time to show the geology of the surface. On March 27, 2020, Phobos was observed exiting an eclipse, when the surface was still warming up.Ĭlick (or touch) and drag to explore this 3D visualization of Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, using NASA's Eyes on the Solar System. This provided some of the coldest temperatures measured on Phobos to date, with the lowest being about minus 189 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 123 degrees Celsius). 25, 2020, shows Phobos while in eclipse, where Mars' shadow completely blocked sunlight from reaching the moon's surface. 9, 2019, shows Phobos in full-moon phase, when more of the surface is exposed to sunlight, with a maximum temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit (27 degrees Celsius). But in recent years, a process has been developed to flip the spacecraft upside-down so it can point its camera at Phobos.Īmong the three new images, the one taken Dec. Led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, Odyssey's mission is mostly dedicated to studying the Martian surface. Further study could help settle a debate over whether Phobos, which is about 16 miles (25 kilometers) across, is a captured asteroid or an ancient chunk of Mars that was blasted off the surface by an impact. The orbiter's infrared camera, the Thermal Emission Imaging System ( THEMIS), has been used to measure temperature variations across the surface of Phobos that provide insight into the composition and physical properties of the moon. Taken this past winter and this spring, they capture the moon as it drifts into and out of Mars' shadow. Three new views of the Martian moon Phobos have been captured by NASA's Odyssey orbiter. Mission operations are conducted jointly from Lockheed Martin and from JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena.Taken with the infrared camera on NASA's Odyssey orbiter, the images reveal temperature variations aboard the small moon as it drifts into and out of Mars' shadow. The prime contractor for the Odyssey project, Lockheed Martin Space in Denver, developed and built the orbiter. THEMIS was built and is operated by Arizona State University in Tempe. Odyssey also serves an important role relaying commands and data for Mars' newest inhabitant, NASA's InSight lander. One of the sites Odyssey captured pictures of is Jezero Crater, the landing site for NASA's Perseverance rover, which launches to Mars this summer. It takes thousands of images of the Martian surface each month, many of which help scientists select landing sites for future missions. Odyssey has been orbiting Mars since 2001. Future observations will provide a more complete picture of the temperature extremes on the moon's surface." "These observations are also helping to characterize the composition of Phobos. "We're seeing that the surface of Phobos is relatively uniform and made up of very fine-grained materials," said Christopher Edwards of Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, who leads the processing and analysis of the Phobos images. The Odyssey team plans to observe crescent phases in coming months, providing a comprehensive view of how Phobos' surface warms and cools as it rotates. The one exception is the eclipse image, which is computer-generated and shows what Phobos would have looked like if it wasn't in complete shadow.Ĭombined with three previous images, these observations represent waxing, waning and full views of the moon. ![]() On March 27, 2020, Phobos was observed exiting an eclipse, when the surface was still warming up.Īll of the THEMIS infrared images are colorized to show temperature variations and are overlain on THEMIS visible-light images taken at the same time to show the geology of the surface. 25, 2020, shows Phobos while in eclipse, where Mars' shadow completely blocked sunlight from reaching the moon's surface.This provided some of the coldest temperatures measured on Phobos to date, with the lowest being about minus 189 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 123 degrees Celsius). ![]() Among the three new images, the one taken Dec.
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