Mars and Its Moons

As the fourth planet from the sun in our solar system, Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. Both moons are potato-shaped, small, and consist largely of carbonaceous material. Each is much smaller than Mars, Phobos is 22 kilometers in diameter, and Deimos is just 12 kilometers in diameter.

Despite their intriguing features, these moons are definitely not unique in the solar system. There are numerous other natural satellites that are smaller than Mars and even smaller than Phobos and Deimos.

The Small Satellites Club

Phobos and Deimos, the Tiny Twins

As mentioned, Mars has two small moons, Phobos and Deimos. Both were discovered by Asaph Hall in 1877 and named after the Greek gods of fear and terror, respectively.

Here is a brief description of them:

• Phobos - Despite being the bigger moon of Mars’, it’s still only a tiny fraction of the planet’s total size. It orbits closer to its planet than any other moon in the solar system and is slowly spiraling inward towards Mars.
• Deimos - It’s much smaller and further away from Mars. Its crater-pocked surface is interesting, the craters aren’t as deep as those of Phobos, indicating a different subsurface composition or internal structure.

The Multitude of Tiny Moons of Jupiter

Despite Jupiter being the largest planet in our solar system, it is circled by some of the smallest known moons. Europa, Ganymede, Io, and Callisto – the Galilean moons – are quite large, but beyond them lurk numerous smaller moons.

Here are four moons smaller than Deimos:

• Amalthea - The largest among Jupiter’s small inner moons, but it’s still beyond comparison with any of Mars’ natural satellites.
• Metis - It’s the closest moon to Jupiter and one of the smallest in the solar system.
• Adrastea - Another small inner moon of Jupiter. It shares its orbit with Metis.
• Thebe - The outermost of the inner group of Jupiter’s moons. It was the last of the four small satellites to be discovered and is also tiny and irregular in shape.

Saturn’s Star Crowd of Small Moons

Like Jupiter, Saturn is encircled by numerous small moons. Rhea, Titan, Iapetus, and Dione are among the largest, but the planet has a host of moons that are substantially smaller.

FAQs - Natural satellite smaller than Mars Some commonly asked questions include:

1. How can the size of a moon or planet be determined from Earth? Astronomers use various methods to determine the size of distant objects in space. For instance, they may use telescopic observations coupled with factoring in the objects’ distance from Earth, and the angle the objects subtend from that distance.
2. Can smaller natural satellites sustain life? Most small natural satellites that we know of consist of icy, cratered surfaces - conditions generally deemed inhospitable for life as we know it. However, the potential for life exists anywhere liquid water can exist - hence, research continues.
3. How many moons does Mars have? Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos.

Closing

The universe is far more vast and diverse than even our most advanced telescopes can show us. While Mars and its small satellites hold the limelight today, many more smaller moons of other planets hold tales yet untold. Astronomic studies are like opening a book whose pages are not yet all written. As we learn more about these celestial bodies, we discover more questions than answers. Continue to stargaze and ponder about the mysteries above us, each star may be a world waiting to share its own story.

Article updated at Tuesday, October 8, 2024