Unraveling the Mystery of Deimos: New Insights from the United Arab Emirates Mars Mission

 Mars' small satellite Deimos takes center stage in the latest images captured by the United Arab Emirates Mars Mission (Emm) probe, a historic first for an Arab nation. As reported by the Emirates news agency "Wam," these images may challenge the theory that Deimos is a former asteroid caught by Mars' gravity, suggesting it could be Mars-born instead. The high-resolution photos, unveiled at the European Geosciences Union's General Assembly in Vienna, provide new insights into Deimos' composition and structure.

Hessa al Matroushi, head of Emm's science team, stated that the origin of Phobos and Deimos remains uncertain. While one theory suggests they are captured asteroids, questions about their composition remain unresolved. Al Matroushi highlighted that new information on Deimos, which is rarely observed, could offer valuable insights into the composition of Mars' satellites. Early observations by the Hope probe, which reached Mars in February 2021, indicate a planetary origin for Deimos.

Launched by the United Arab Emirates, the Hope probe began its close observations of Deimos in late January and early February 2023, at a distance of 100 kilometers from its surface. The probe will continue to study Mars' small satellite throughout 2023.