Martian moon Phobos, as photographed on Jan. 9. Photo Credit/European Space Agency
The European Space Agency’s Mars Express orbiter captured close up photos of the Martian moon Phobos on Jan. 9
A cratered surface is evident in the photos taken at a distance of less than 70 miles.
The circled areas are landing sites for Russia’s three-year, Phobos-Grunt mission, which is scheduled for launching in November. The Russian spacecraft will attempt to return to Earth with soil samples from the Martian moon.
Photos, discovered in 1877, is about 14 miles across.