NASA’s ‘Space Potato’ Sparks Internet Buzz: Meet Phobos, The Lumpy Moon Of Mars

NASA’s official social media channels regularly share fascinating information about space, ranging from stunning images of purple auroras on Mars to intriguing facts about the moon, asteroids, and more. Their latest post has once again captured the internet’s attention with a picture of what they humorously call a “space potato.” Yes, you read that correctly.

In the caption accompanying the picture, NASA explained, “Phobos is the larger of Mars’ two moons—but it’s still only about 17 x 14 x 11 miles (27 by 22 by 18 kilometers) in diameter. Because Phobos is so small, its gravity isn’t strong enough to pull it into a sphere (like Earth’s Moon), giving it its lumpy shape. Phobos is also on a collision course with Mars—though it’ll take a while to get there. It’s nearing the Red Planet at a rate of six feet (1.8 meters) every hundred years. At that rate, the moon will either crash into Mars in 50 million years or break up into a ring.”

They added, “This image was taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on our Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been studying Mars since 2006.”

Check Out The Post Below:

This post, shared two days ago, has garnered nearly four lakh likes and numerous comments. Many people were amazed by the picture.

Here Are Some Reactions From Netizens:

An individual commented, “Finally, we find a potato in space.”

Another person said, “Very, very interesting.”

“Can we turn it into space fries,” joked a third.

Another Instagram user added, “Beautiful potato in space.”