Mars's Funky Moon Deimos was Shaped by an Impact

This illustration shows Mars' moon Deimos and its distinctive south pole depression. Thought the moon's surface appears smoother than its sibling Phobos, it's still been battered by impacts. One major impact created the south pole crater, and also spread a layer of regolith on the moon's surface. Image Credit: NASA Eyes on the Solar System.

Mars' moon Deimos has a large crater on its southern pole. It's also covered by a layer of regolith so deep it buries many other, smaller craters. New research shows that an impact is responsible for both, and that the moon is rather fragile and porous, like a rubble pile asteroid.

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