The ESA Mars Express probe has since yesterday all its "eyes" on Phobos , the largest moon of Mars. Its purpose is to collect new data from its surface to try to unravel the mystery of its origins. On March 3, the investigation will reach its "climax" when the probe is located just 50 kilometers from the surface of Phobos, the closest distance that a device has been from the Martian moon. At this distance, instruments aboard Mars Express will attempt to map the satellite's gravitational field , allowing scientists to infer its internal structure.
There are several possible scenarios to explain the formation of Phobos. In one of them, the Martian moon would actually be an asteroid that was attracted and "captured" by the red planet. Another possibility is that it was formed "in situ", at the same time as Mars . The option that Phobos arose after Mars, formed from the debris generated by the collision of a large meteorite against the planet, is also being considered.
