Mars may once have had a much larger moon

Mars may once have had a much larger moon

There are two small moons in orbit around Mars today, but both may be remnants of a much larger moon that had enough of a gravitational pull to drive tides in the Red Planet's lost lakes and seas

Mars May Have Once Had a Huge Moon Big Enough to Cause Tides, Study Suggests

In a new study featured by New Scientist, researchers propose that Mars might have once had a much larger moon than it does today, capable of creating tidal effects on the Red Planet. This hypothesis arises from evidence of tidal activity found in sedimentary layers within the Gale Crater. Understanding the Gale Crater Evidence The Gale Crater, one of the most studied regions on Mars, has been central to recent research suggesting tidal influenc…

Mars Might Have Once Hosted Larger Moons

Gale Crater on Mars ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy There may have been ancient tides on Mars, suggesting the presence of larger moons capable of influencing the planet’s waters. Currently, Mars has two small moons that aren’t sufficient for this theory. Suniti Karunatilake and researchers from Louisiana State University discovered signs of tidal activity in Gale Crater’s [...] The post Mars Might Have Once Hosted Larger Moons appeared first on Mondo New…