The United Arab Emirates has received the first images of a moon of Mars, which hasunusual shape.
What is known
Photos of space objects were obtained using the Hope probe as part of the Emirates Mars Mission (EMM) program. It orbited the Red Planet for the first time on March 10, 2023.
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Scientists believe that the satellite was formed together withMars and is not a captured asteroid. The Hope spacecraft and the EMM mission are expected to help researchers find more evidence for this theory.
Deimos is tidally locked to Mars, as the Moon is toEarth. This means that when observing the satellite from low orbit or the surface of the Red Planet, only one side of the satellite is visible. However, because of its elongated orbit—40,000 km at its highest point—Hope can take photographs of the far side of Deimos.
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The probe made observations and took pictures of the satellite in the range from infrared to ultraviolet. The resulting images support the theory that Deimos is formed from the same material as Mars.
The spacecraft weighs 1350 kg.Its cost is $200 million. It was launched to Mars in the summer of 2020 and arrived at its destination in February 2021. Initially, Hope observed the seasonal changes in the atmosphere and weather of the Red Planet.