MOC Image of Phobos with TES Temperature Overlay

This image of Phobos, the inner and larger of the two moons of Mars, was taken by the Mars Global Surveyor on August 19, 1998. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) measured the brightness of thermal radiation at the same time the camera acquired this image. By analyzing the brightness, TES scientists could deduce the various fractions of the surface exposed to the Sun and their temperatures. This preliminary analysis shows that the surface temperature, dependent on slope and particle size, varies from a high of +25° F (-4° C) on the most illuminated slopes to -170° F (-112° C) in shadows. This large difference, and the fact that such differences can be found in close proximity, adds support to the notion that the surface of Phobos is covered by very small particles.

Malin Space Science Systems, Inc. and the California Institute of Technology built the MOC using spare hardware from the Mars Observer mission. MSSS operates the camera from its facilities in San Diego, CA. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer is operated by Arizona State University and was built by Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Mars Surveyor Operations Project operates the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft with its industrial partner, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, from facilities in Pasadena, CA and Denver, CO.