Phobos infrared image captured by NASA’s Mars Odyssey

On September 29 Phobos, the innermost and the larger of the two natural satellite of Mars (the other one is Deimos) was observed with the help of NASA’s Mars Odyssey. The researchers were able to produce a color-coded image with the infrared data and the visible-wavelengths. This image reveals about the surface temperature of Martian moon

 

THe color-coded image formed with the help of NASA's Mars Odyssey THEMIS infrared information

It has been about 16years the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) equipped in NASA’s Mars Odyssey robotic spacecraft orbiting the planet Mars since 2001, but this is the first time in such a long duration, Odyssey was able to send infrared information about Phobos. As per Jonathan Hill, THEMIS mission planner, the image formed by using the half-moon view of Phobos as it allowed to observe a wide range of temperature on the surface.

eamining phobo is different lights source

In addition, Mars Odyssey is also equipped with the Gamma Ray Spectrometer (GRS) this includes the High Energy Neutron Detector (HEND), On May 28, 2002, NASA reported that Mars Odyssey’s GRS has detected a large number of hydrogen this signifies that there must be lying within a meter of the planet’s surface.

Phobos has a diameter of around 22 kilometers (dimensions: 27 km x 22km x 18km), it doesn’t have any atmosphere, it is considered to be the least reflective body in our solar system. It is mostly composed of similar material to carbonaceous material, low density. The gravity there is very low.

One major question about Phobos and Deimos that whether the information that is being captured are asteroids or bits of Mars knocked down into the sky by impacts. It will require the compositional information from THEMIS to find out. Since 2001 Odyssey has been orbiting and capturing all the compositional and thermal properties from all over Mars till 2014 Odyssey keeps the THEMIS camera pointed towards straight down when the team at the Lockheed Martin Space systems develops the procedure to rotate the spacecraft for upward looking imaging. Phobos observation is planned to happen under all types of lighting – fully daylit, a small crescent, during eclipse.