MGS MOC Release No. MOC2-485, 16 September 2003
In 1998, the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft made four passes by the innermost of the two martian satellites, Phobos. The fourth pass, made just over 5 years ago on 12 September 1998, offered the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) the opportunity to acquire the highest resolution images of the moon, ever. This wonderful 5-year-old picture highlights the surface of Phobos. Several large boulders can be seen, including a very large one near the center that is about 85 meters (~280 feet) in diameter. Most of the boulders may have been ejected from the largest impact crater on Phobos, Stickney. Sunlight illuminates the scene from the left/lower left.
Name | Value | Additional Values |
---|---|---|
Target | Mars | Phobos |
System | Mars | |
Target Type | Planet | Satellite |
Mission | Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) | |
Instrument Host | Mars Global Surveyor | |
Host Type | Orbiter | |
Instrument | Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) | |
Detector | ||
Extra Keywords | Crater, Grayscale, Impact | |
Acquisition Date | ||
Release Date | 2003-09-17 | |
Date in Caption | 1998-09-12 | 2003-09-16 |
Image Credit | NASA/JPL/Malin Space Science Systems | |
Source | photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04746 | |
Identifier | PIA04746 |