Deimos and Phobos Interior Explorer that the moons of Mars may have formed after a huge collision with a protoplanet one third the mass of Mars that formed a ring around Mars. A third hypothesis is that they may have co-accreted with the parent planet. DePhine mission would explore the origin and the evolution of the two Martian satellites, by focusing on their interior structures and diversity. The mission would attempt to determine if Phobos and Deimos true siblings, originating from the same source and sharing the same formation scenario. It would also determine if both natural satellites are rubble piles or solid bodies, and
Phobos (moon) seen from Phobos, Mars would appear 6,400 times larger and 2,500 times brighter than the full Moon appears from Earth, taking up a quarter of the width of a celestial hemisphere. The Mars–Phobos Lagrangian L1 is above Stickney, which is unusually close to the surface. An observer situated on the Martian surface, in a position to observe Phobos, would see regular transits of Phobos across the Sun. Several of these transits have been photographed by the Mars Rover "Opportunity". During the transits, Phobos's shadow is cast on the surface of Mars; an event which has been photographed by several spacecraft.