Phobos is the closest moon to its planet, orbiting Mars in 7.5 hours, faster than Mars itself which spins with a 24.6 hour day.
The surface of this small moon has been pounded into powder by eons of meteoroid impacts, some of which started landslides that left dark trails marking the steep slopes of giant craters. There is incredible detail when viewed at full size. So it’s soft and low, in stark contrast to Hyperion.
Russia has made three failed attempts to land on Phobos; I visited the most recent spacecraft — Phobos-Grunt — in Russia prior to launch (below).
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