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Fast Facts: Mars' moon, Phobos
| Age |
4.5 billion years, about the same age as Mars |
| Location |
Solar system, in orbit around Mars |
| Avg. distance from Mars |
9,377 km (5,827 mi) |
| Diameter |
The non-spherical moon has the dimensions of 27 × 22 × 18 km (17 x 14 x 11 mi) |
| Mass |
1.1 x 1016 kg |
| Orbital period around Mars |
11.1 hours |
| Distinguishing features |
Phobos is a heavily cratered, nonspherical, potato-shaped moon with a prominent crater near one end. The crater is named Stickney – the maiden name of Asaph Hall’s wife. Hall discovered Mars’ moons in 1877 using the U.S. Naval Observatory 26-inch (66-centimeter) refractor. |
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