New Theory Proposes Mars' Moons Formed from Shredded Asteroid

Supercomputer simulations suggest Mars' gravity may have ripped apart an asteroid, leading to the formation of its moons, Phobos and Deimos.

NASA researchers have used supercomputer simulations to explore a new hypothesis for the formation of Mars' moons.
The study suggests that Mars' gravitational pull could have disrupted a passing asteroid, resulting in debris that eventually formed Phobos and Deimos.
The simulations indicate that enough asteroid fragments could have remained in orbit to create a disk, leading to the moons' formation.
This new model challenges previous theories, offering different predictions about the moons' properties that future missions could test.
The upcoming Martian Moons Exploration mission by JAXA aims to gather samples from Phobos to help determine the moons' origins.