Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2026 January 25
   [2]A large irregularly shaped object is shown that is mostly brown and
      shows many craters. Please see the explanation for more detailed
                                information.

                         Phobos: Doomed Moon of Mars
        Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]LPL (U. Arizona), [5]MRO, [6]HiRISE

   Explanation: This moon is doomed. [7]Mars, the red planet named for the
   [8]Roman god of war, has two tiny moons, [9]Phobos and [10]Deimos,
   whose names are derived from the Greek for Fear and [11]Panic. These
   [12]Martian moons may well be captured [13]asteroids originating in the
   main [14]asteroid belt between Mars and [15]Jupiter or perhaps from
   even more distant reaches of [16]our Solar System. The larger moon,
   [17]Phobos, is indeed seen to be a cratered, asteroid-like object in
   this [18]stunning color image from the robotic [19]Mars Reconnaissance
   Orbiter, which can image objects as small as 10 meters. But [20]Phobos
   orbits so close to Mars - about 5,800 kilometers above the surface
   compared to 400,000 kilometers for [21]our Moon - that gravitational
   [22]tidal forces are dragging it down. In perhaps 50 million years,
   [23]Phobos is expected to disintegrate into a ring of debris.

                     Tomorrow's picture: bubbling galaxy
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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [39]Specific rights apply.
            [40]NASA Web Privacy, [41]Accessibility, [42]Notices;
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC,
                         [46]NASA Science Activation
                           & [47]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2601/Phobos_MRO_3374.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/
   6. https://hirise.lpl.arizona.edu/
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/mars/
   8. https://mythopedia.com/topics/mars
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phobos_(moon)
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deimos_(moon)
  11. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzPdCk_Kc30/UcsbcNxTCKI/AAAAAAAAB-I/9bTfzfm9KKw/s1600/scared_cat_is_really_scared-e1349731123898.jpg
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap031024.html
  13. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/asteroids/
  14. https://asteroidday.org/
  15. https://science.nasa.gov/jupiter/jupiter-facts/
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220629.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap201108.html
  18. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA10368
  19. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220509.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap020504.html
  22. https://science.nasa.gov/moon/tides/
  23. https://youtu.be/BJHRyjkmxss?t=122
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260124.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260125
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260126.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  47. http://www.mtu.edu/