Phobos: Why Does This Moon Look Like Star Wars’ ‘Death Star’, Mystery Solved?

Phobos, the moon of Mars which is considered our solar system's Death Star due to its similar appearance to the fictional planet destroyer in the Star Wars films, has long puzzled scientists with its massive 5.6-mile-wide crater. Now, a recent study based on numerical simulations has reportedly solved the mystery of the bizarre formation, known as Stickney crater.

As per the study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, physicists created models of comet or asteroid impacts that could have formed the Stickney crater without completely destroying Phobos. "We've demonstrated that you can create this crater without destroying the moon, if you use the proper porosity and resolution in a 3D simulation," said Megan Bruck Syal, study author.

The recent calculations conducted during the study reveal that the largest moon of Mars was hit by a 200-meter object which collided into the satellite at nearly five miles per second. The collision was impactful enough to create the large depression on the surface of the 13 mile wide Phobos. The researching team also rejected the theory that numerous parallel grooves, which seem to radiate from the crater, were formed by the impact. The simulations, instead, show that the fracture patterns caused by collision would not be like the parallel, long, straight grooves seen on the lunar surface.

Apart from finding the cause that led to the bizarre Stickney crater, the study was also conducted with another objective - to gain more insight into an open source code the researching team had developed to simulate the different techniques of deflecting destructive asteroids heading towards Earth. If something similar to the object that hit Phobos were to collide with Earth, the effect would be disastrous, as per the scientists. "If NASA sees a potentially hazardous asteroid coming our way, it will be essential to make sure are able to deflect it. We will only have one shot at it, and the consequences could not be higher. We do this type of benchmarking research to make sure our codes are right when they will be needed most," added Meg Bruck.