Lost Photos Hint Phobos Could Be a Captured Comet

New research based on previously unpublished photos suggests that Mars' moon Phobos may be a captured comet, or part of one, rather than an asteroid or a fragment from a giant impact. The study, which analyzed photometric properties of Phobos, found similarities with Jupiter-family comets, indicating that Phobos and its twin moon Deimos might have once been a single bilobed comet. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's upcoming MMX mission aims to further investigate these findings by sampling Phobos directly.