Thread: one million
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Old 07-02-2003, 06:46 PM
MilkToast MilkToast is offline
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--6535--

Closest Orbiting Moon
Of all the moons in the solar system, the one with the closest orbit is Phobos, the larger of the two satellites of Mars. The orbit of Phobos is less than 6000 kilometers above the surface of the planet (3700 miles).
Phobos is an irregularly shaped chunk of rock and ice about 27 kilometers long (17 miles). Because its orbit is so low, it can only be seen from a limited strip of the planet near its orbital path. Seen from that strip, it crosses the sky quickly from west to east, twice a day.
Phobos' orbit is so low that tidal forces are pulling it closer and closer to Mars. Scientists expect that in about 50 million years it will either crash into the planet or break up into a thin ring of orbiting debris.
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