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Chapter 11: Problem 40

A full moon on Earth is bright enough to cast shadows. As seen from the Martian surface, would you expect a full Phobos or full Deimos to cast shadows? Why or why not?

Short Answer

Expert verified
No, neither a full Phobos nor a full Deimos would cast shadows because they are not as bright as our Moon due to their small sizes.

Step by step solution

01

Analyzing the size and distance of the moons

The size and distance of an object from a planet affect how much sunlight it reflects back to that planet, and consequently how bright it appears. Phobos and Deimos are much smaller and farther from Mars than the Moon is from Earth. This means that less sunlight is reflected by these moons, and they will appear less bright from Mars.
02

Comparing brightness with a full moon on Earth

The brightness required to cast a shadow depends on the surrounding illumination. On Earth, a full moon is bright enough to cast shadows. Even though Phobos is closer to Mars than our Moon is to Earth, because of its small size, it reflects significantly less sunlight. Consequently, the illumination caused by Phobos is not as bright as our Full Moon.
03

Final conclusion

Given that Phobos and Deimos are not as bright as the moon is from Earth, it is unlikely that either a full Phobos or a full Deimos would cast shadows on Mars as required to answer the question.

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