Phobos and Deimos in fiction


has two moons, Phobos and Deimos. Due to their small size, both moons were discovered only in 1877, by astronomer Asaph Hall. Nevertheless, they frequently feature in works of science fiction.
Some of the earliest mentions of Mars's moons in fiction predate their discovery. In Jonathan Swift's famous satire Gulliver's Travels, the astronomers of flying island Laputa are described as having discovered two satellites of Mars. Voltaire's short story "Micromégas", about alien visitors from Sirius and Saturn, also describes Mars as having two moons. Voltaire is thought to have been influenced by Swift. In recognition of these mentions, many geological features of Phobos and Deimos are named after characters and places from Gulliver's Travels, including among others Laputa Regio and Lagado Planitia on Phobos, and craters Swift and Voltaire on Deimos.

Phobos