The Grooves on Mars' Moon Phobos Could Be Produced by Tidal Forces (IMAGE)

NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center

The Grooves on Mars' Moon Phobos Could Be Produced by Tidal Forces

Caption

New modeling indicates that the grooves on Mars' moon Phobos could be produced by tidal forces -- the mutual gravitational pull of the planet and the moon. Initially, scientists had thought the grooves were created by the massive impact that made Stickney crater (lower right).

Credit

Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona

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