Fri 9th of Oct 2026 UTC
Astronomy.co.uk Moon Phase Widget
Age: 29 days old
Phase: New Moon
Illumination: 1%
Distance: 385,285 km
from the NASA archive - 9th October 2026

Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician and wife of astronomer Asaph Hall.

Asaph Hall discovered both the Red Planet's moons in 1877. Over 9 kilometers across, Stickney is nearly half the diameter of Phobos itself, so large that the impact that blasted out the crater likely came close to shattering the tiny moon. This enhanced-color image of Stickney and surroundings was recorded by the HiRISE camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter as it passed within some six thousand kilometers of Phobos in March of 2008. Even though the surface gravity of asteroid-like Phobos is less than 1/1000th Earth's gravity, streaks suggest loose material slid down inside the crater walls over time. Light bluish regions near the crater's rim could indicate a relatively freshly exposed surface. The origin of the curious grooves along the surface is mysterious but may be related to tidal stresses experienced by close-orbiting Phobos or the crater-forming impact itself.Tomorrow's picture: farside

Astronomy.co.uk Star Naming Service

Name a star for yourself or for that special person as the perfect gift that will sparkle for a lifetime! Ideal for any occasion, birthdays, christenings, anniversaries and memorials. Reserve a place in the heavens for your loved ones

Astronomy.co.uk
19th November 2025 at 15:31
https://www.astronomy.co.uk/astronomy-picture-of-the-day/
Likes: 0 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
1st May 2025 at 09:19
Th Sky Tonight - May 2025
Likes: 0 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
18th December 2024 at 10:01
https://www.astronomy.co.uk/the-sky-tonight/
Likes: 0 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
8th February 2022 at 00:25
The Pinwheel Galaxy -NASA
Likes: 5 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
17th January 2022 at 16:33
The first Full Moon of 2022, known as the Wolf Moon, will occur tonight! Throughout cold January nights, the howling of wolves could be heard around villages in both Europe and America, so the January Full Moon became widely known as the Wolf Moon. The exact time of the Full Wolf Moon is January 17, 2022, 23:48 GMT
Likes: 9 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
16th January 2022 at 14:07
The Lagoon Nebula - Hubble
Likes: 15 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
5th January 2022 at 10:54
This is a small section of the Cygnus supernova blast wave which appears as a delicate streak of light. Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, W. Blair; acknowledgment: Leo Shatz
Likes: 8 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
4th January 2022 at 10:01
An exploding star ! Hubble
Likes: 11 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
3rd January 2022 at 12:12
The station crew sees 16 sunrises a day, and they officially started 2022 at 12am GMT.
Likes: 5 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
2nd January 2022 at 09:07
The Snow Angel Nebula - Hubble
Likes: 17 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
1st January 2022 at 09:04
Crescent Earth The Earth as seen from the Moon on the Command Module of Apollo17 on December 16, 1972. Credit: @NASA (image #AS17-152-23274); Processing: @JPMajor
Likes: 12 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
31st December 2021 at 11:25
Dolphin head nebula located near the center of the constellation Canis Major
Likes: 10 Comments: 0
Astronomy.co.uk
30th December 2021 at 13:57
DEM L249, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, is an unusual supernova remnant. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Y. Chou (Academia Sinica, Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Likes: 8 Comments: 0