The Mysterious Moons of Mars

Did you know that Mars, the red planet, has two little moons named Phobos and Deimos? Unlike our round moon, these moons are shaped more like lumpy potatoes! Phobos is the larger of the two and orbits very close to Mars—the closest of any moon to its planet in our solar system. Scientists think these moons might actually be captured asteroids from the nearby asteroid belt. Because of their unusual shapes and sizes, they provide clues about the early solar system and how moons can form in different ways.