[meteorite-list] MAVEN Observes Mars Moon Phobos in the Mid- and Far-Ultraviolet

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/maven-observes-phobos-in-ultraviolet

MAVEN Observes Mars Moon Phobos in the Mid- and Far-Ultraviolet
February 29, 2016

NASA scientists are closer to solving the mystery of how Mars' moon Phobos 
formed.

In late November and early December 2015, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile 
Evolution (MAVEN) mission made a series of close approaches to the Martian 
moon Phobos, collecting data from within 300 miles (500 kilometers) of 
the moon.

[Graphic]
The orbit of MAVEN sometimes crosses the orbit of Phobos. This image shows 
the configuration of the two orbits in early December 2015, when MAVEN's 
Phobos observations were made.
Credits: CU/LASP and NASA

Among the data returned were spectral images of Phobos in the ultraviolet. 
The images will allow MAVEN scientists to better assess the composition 
of this enigmatic object, whose origin is unknown.

[Image]
Phobos as observed by MAVEN's Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph. Orange 
shows mid-ultraviolet (MUV) sunlight reflected from the surface of Phobos, 
exposing the moon's irregular shape and many craters. Blue shows far ultraviolet 
light detected at 121.6 nm, which is scattered off of hydrogen gas in 
the extended upper atmosphere of Mars. Phobos, observed here at a range 
of 300km, blocks this light, eclipsing the ultraviolet sky.
Credits: CU/LASP and NASA

Comparing MAVEN's images and spectra of the surface of Phobos to similar 
data from asteroids and meteorites will help planetary scientists understand 
the moon's origin - whether it is a captured asteroid or was formed in 
orbit around Mars. The MAVEN data, when fully analyzed, will also help 
scientists look for organic molecules on the surface. Evidence for such 
molecules has been reported by previous measurements from the ultraviolet 
spectrograph on the Mars Express spacecraft.

The observations were made by the Imaging Ultraviolet Spectrograph instrument 
aboard MAVEN.

MAVEN's principal investigator is based at the University of Colorado's 
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, and NASA's Goddard Space 
Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the MAVEN project. Partner 
institutions include Lockheed Martin, the University of California at 
Berkeley, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

For more information on MAVEN, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/maven

Nancy Neal Jones
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland