Phobos, one of Mars’ two moons, is named after the Greek god Phobos. This name means “fear” in Greek. But fear was definitely not one of the many emotions I felt while landing on this tiny moon the size of Houston. Luckily, the landing was easy and safe. This can be credited to Phobos’ very low gravity. It was unbelievable stepping on this moon and being the weight of a mouse. I proceeded to float, not walk, across its surface. I was not careful; however, and I kicked up some of the fine layer of dust that rests on the ground. It caused quite a mess and I could not see around me for almost ten minutes. I could not let this damper my good spirits! I continued to float around the surface over many craters and enjoyed the beautiful view of Mars. The sun rises and sets every eight hours on this moon, and the nearly unbearable temperatures in the dark shocked me. It got to nearly -170 degrees! Luckily, I had an excellent space suit specially designed by NASA. Once it became light again I threw a ball, waited twenty-five minutes, and watched in amazement as it returned from the other side of the moon! I wish I had some of my friends with me so we could play quite a game of baseball. It then occurred to me the multitude of activities I could do. Doing what a champion weightlifter could only dream of, I lifted a rock the size of a jumbo jet! As a gesture of victory, I proceeded to do three thousand somersaults in the air. Take that Shawn Johnson! My traveling companion got a little carried away. He jumped too high and went into orbit. Now he is a moon of Mars!
After having way too much fun on the surface, I decided to explore the inside of Phobos. Phobos is quite a survivor after being blasted by an asteroid. This is easily apparent by its giant crater. The effect of the collision was that shockwaves were sent throughout the moon. I found a variety of caves perfect for spelunking. Aside from being perfect for engaging in extreme sports, the caves served as protection when a meteor storm occurred halfway through the day. It would also be the ideal place to stay if I decided to live here. But unfortunately my adventure on Phobos lasted only a day, thanks to this economy it is all NASA could sponsor. I did have an amazing time and recommend it for space lovers and sports enthusiasts alike!
I really liked reading your post! The way you tied in the Greek word for fear with the planet was cool; that was a great way to blend more information with what you were "feeling" as you landed on Phobos.Your description of your trip to Phobos was fun to read because you made it seem like you had actually been there. The way you described simple things (like kicking up the dust that blocked your view for 10 minutes or beating Shawn Johnson with your somersaulting skills) brought a lot of personality to the "paper." I was able to learn about Phobos in a fun way!
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