What is the name of Mars' larger moon?

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Mars’s larger moon is Phobos. It is the inner and bigger of Mars’s two natural satellites; the other, smaller moon is Deimos.

Phobos is an irregular, heavily cratered body measuring roughly 27 by 22 by 18 kilometers. Its most prominent feature is Stickney, a huge impact crater that occupies a substantial portion of the moon’s surface. Phobos is also extremely dark and porous, with a surface resembling material found in some carbon-rich asteroids.

American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered Phobos in 1877, only days after discovering Deimos. Their names come from Greek mythology: Phobos represents fear and panic, while Deimos represents terror. Both were companions of Ares, the Greek counterpart of the Roman god Mars.

Phobos orbits Mars unusually quickly, completing a circuit in about 7 hours and 39 minutes. It is slowly spiraling inward because of tidal forces and may eventually break apart or collide with Mars. Io is a moon of Jupiter, and Titan orbits Saturn.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Aug. 2026

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