London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Most Precise Image Of Mars' Mysterious 'Lumpy' Moon Captured By UAE Spacecraft

Most Precise Image Of Mars' Mysterious 'Lumpy' Moon Captured By UAE Spacecraft

The UAE probe also observed for the first time the far side of the moon, revealing regions whose compositions have never been studied, the mission said.
The United Arab Emirates' Hope space probe on Monday revealed Mars' smaller moon Deimos in unprecedented detail, shedding new light on the origin of the mysterious lumpy satellite.

The probe, the Arab world's first interplanetary mission, has been orbiting Mars for two years, regularly flying past Deimos and its big sibling moon Phobos.

It came within 110 kilometres (68 miles) from Deimos, a rocky object the shape of a bean just 12 kilometres wide, according to the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM).

The probe -- named "Al-Amal", Arabic for "Hope" -- sent back to Earth the most precise images and observations of the moon ever captured, using instruments that measure the infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths.

It also observed for the first time the far side of the moon, revealing regions whose compositions have never been studied, the mission said.

The probe could also prompt new debate over how exactly the strange moons ended up in the Martian orbit.

"We are unsure of the origins of both Phobos and Deimos," the EMM's science lead Hessa Al Matroushi said in a statement.

One leading theory is that the two moons were once asteroids passing by when they were unexpectedly captured into the orbit of Mars.

But Al Matroushi said that "our close observations of Deimos so far point to a planetary origin".

Christopher Edwards, a scientist in charge of one of the probe's instruments, said that "both of these bodies have infrared properties more akin to a basaltic Mars" than an asteroid.

That could mean the rocky bodies were once part of Mars, and were potentially shot out into orbit by a massive impact.

Mission extended

UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted that the probe "refutes" the theory that the moon was once an asteroid.

Instead it showed that the moon was once part of Mars then "separated from it millions of years ago," similar to how our own Moon is thought to have once been part of Earth, he said.

The UAE Space Agency announced that it was extending the mission for another year, during which Hope will continue to fly past Deimos and collect more data.

The probe launched in 2020 and arrived in Mars' orbit in 2021.

It has an unparalleled view of Deimos because it orbits at a greater distance than other Mars missions, aiming to get a comprehensive image of the red planet's weather dynamics.

That makes it much closer to the wide orbit of Deimos, which spins some 23,000 kilometres from Mars.

The UAE is also planning to land an uncrewed rover on the Moon next year.
Newsletter

Related Articles

London Daily
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Claims He Found Listening Device in Bathroom After Netanyahu's Visit
Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei declared today: "If Israel retaliates, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground."
Scott Jennings leaves CNN panel speechless as he tears apart Tim Walz's flimsy excuse of being "too dumb to tell the truth."
GP Accused of Murder Plot with Lethal Injection
Key Insights from Boris Johnson's Memoir 'Unleashed'
Bank of England Governor Warns of Potential Middle East Oil Shock
BBC Cancels Interview with Boris Johnson Due to Briefing Note Mix-up
Boris Johnson's Memoir Unleashes Controversial Claims
Labour Peer Lord Alli Under Investigation
Laura Kuenssberg Cancels Scheduled Interview with Boris Johnson
Conservative Leadership Candidates Propose Reforms Post-Election Defeat
UK Prime Minister Seeks Closer UK-EU Relations
Labour MP Proposes New Assisted Dying Legislation
Rise in Vaping Among Young Adults Who Never Regularly Smoked
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Falkland Islands Amid Chagos Deal
Proposal for Reusing Graves to Address Burial Space Shortages
Dominican Republic Announces Massive Deportation Operation of Haitian Migrants
EU Urges UK PM Keir Starmer to Consider Youth Mobility Scheme
British Forces Help Thwart Iranian Missile Attack on Israel
Simon Case Rejoins Garrick Club Amid Mixed Reactions
Investigation into Labour Donor Waheed Alli's Register of Interests
Iceman Drug Boss Jailed: Major Crackdown on £76M Trafficking Operation
UK Evacuates Citizens from Lebanon Amid Growing Tensions
Rise in Vaping Among Non-Smokers in England
Earth Faces Severe Geomagnetic Storm from Solar Flare
Keir Starmer’s Corruption Exposed: Bribes (Yet Again), Broken Promises, and a Rigged System Shielding the Powerful
Bank of America Outage Leaves Customers Unable to Access Accounts, Sparks Concern
Iranian Mullah Claims Israel Used Genies to Hunt Hezbollah Leader
Privacy Concerns Over AI Monitoring of UK Bank Accounts
Robert Jenrick Reveals Daughter's Middle Name as Thatcher
Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants, Jokes They Are 'Prison-Worthy'
UK Treasury Plans Major Infrastructure Cuts
Kemi Badenoch Criticizes Civil Servants at Conservative Party Conference
Thames Mudlarking Permits Resumed with New Restrictions
Decline in Education for Youth Offenders in England
Jimmy Carter Celebrates 100th Birthday
Iran's Missile Attack on Israel: Defeated but a Significant Escalation
Iran President Lauds Missile Attack on Israel as Decisive Response
Russia Criticizes Biden's Middle East Policies After Iran Attacks Israel
US Dockworkers Strike Halts Half of Nation’s Ocean Shipping
Boris Johnson claims in memoir Queen Elizabeth II had bone cancer
Missile Attack on Israel: A Turning Point for the Ayatollah’s Regime?
Teachers in England Approve 5.5% Pay Rise
Robert Jenrick Criticized for Statements on UK Special Forces
Robert Jenrick Faces Transparency Issues Over Campaign Donations
Phillip Schofield Addresses Firing from ITV
UK Charters Evacuation Flight for Britons in Lebanon
UK Shop Prices Fall at Fastest Rate Since 2021
Keir Starmer Urged to Address Rising Energy Bills
Tom Tugendhat Warns Against Tories Turning into Reform UK
×