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
Definition of planet to 400 astronomical units from the star. A Mars-mass body at the orbit of Pluto clears its orbit. This metric, which leaves Pluto as a dwarf planet, applies to both the Solar System and to extrasolar systems. Some opponents of the definition have claimed that "clearing the neighbourhood" is an ambiguous concept. Mark Sykes, director of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, and organiser of the petition, expressed this opinion to National Public Radio. He believes that the definition does not categorise a planet by composition or formation, but, effectively, by its location. He believes that a Mars-sized or