Phobos (moon) Phobos (moon) Phobos ( , , ; systematic designation: ) is the innermost and larger of the two natural satellites of Mars, the other being Deimos. Both moons were discovered in 1877 by American astronomer Asaph Hall. Phobos is a small, irregularly shaped object with a mean radius of and is seven times as massive as the outer moon, Deimos. Phobos is named after the Greek god Phobos, a son of Ares (Mars) and Aphrodite (Venus) and the personification of horror (cf. phobia). Phobos orbits from the Martian surface, closer to its primary body than any other known planetary moon.
Planet that objects that fulfill the orbital zone clearance requirement automatically fulfill the roundness requirement. The table below lists Solar System bodies once considered to be planets. Beyond the scientific community, Pluto still holds cultural significance for many in the general public due to its historical classification as a planet from 1930 to 2006. A few astronomers, such as Alan Stern, consider dwarf planets and the larger moons to be planets, based on a purely geophysical definition of "planet". The names for the planets in the Western world are derived from the naming practices of the Romans, which ultimately derive from