Single Asteroid Impact May Explain Deimos' Unique Features

An international team, led by the University of Bern, suggests a single asteroid impact could explain two mysteries of Mars' moon Deimos: its large southern depression and smooth, dusty surface. Computer simulations and ESA Hera spacecraft images, published in Nature Astronomy, indicate a 320-meter asteroid struck Deimos at an angle, spreading debris without shattering the moon. This research provides the first scientific study incorporating Hera's flyby observations.