Another hypothesis is that Phobos and Deimos formed very much like Earth's moon did — that an impact on the surface of Mars threw debris into orbit that eventually coalesced into the two moons.

The results of Hera's flyby could ultimately tell us whether Deimos is a captured asteroid or made from debris from a giant impact on Mars.

Phobos and Deimos – these names from Greek mythology were ... they were formed from ejecta resulting from a powerful impact on the planet's surface, or they formed at the same time as Mars. In favour ...

It's called Deimos, and is much smaller and more mysterious than Phobos ... debris float away from the surface which is picked up by the gravitational pull of Mars. This keeps a spooky ring ...

Secondly, it will analyse the surface composition and texture at selected locations ... The Japanese MMX mission targets both moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos. The MMX probe will explore both moons ...