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Could Mars Have a Ring Around It One Day?

Season 51 Episode 13 | 2m 16s

Phobos, one of Mars' moons, has an uncertain origin, but its surface grooves show that tidal forces are pulling it apart. In time, Mars' gravity will shatter it entirely, creating a ring of debris around the planet.

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.
Extras
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
Is engineering humanity’s superpower? See how we can amplify our natural abilities in amazing ways.
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
Watch this interview with Sir Arthur C. Clarke for The Mind Machine (1978.)
Hurricanes are getting more intense, faster.
Knights and firearms clashed on the battlefield for over 200 years.
Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.
Some large meteorites survive their descent through our atmosphere and land on Earth.
Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.
As comets cross the invisible boundary known as the ice line, their ice starts turning into gas.
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  • NOVA Season 35
  • NOVA Season 34
  • NOVA Season 33
  • NOVA Season 32
  • NOVA Season 31
  • NOVA Season 30
  • NOVA Season 28
  • NOVA Season 27
  • NOVA Season 23
Humans are born to roam. See how engineers are inventing new ways to explore and extend our range.
Is engineering humanity’s superpower? See how we can amplify our natural abilities in amazing ways.
Dive into the universe at the tiniest – and weirdest – of scales.
Meet the surprising, oddball worlds moving around our solar system.
Visit strange, frozen worlds to discover the bizarre ice that forms beyond Earth.
Discover the powerful volcanic eruptions that have shaped worlds across our solar system.
What are the weirdest worlds in our solar system, and how did they come to be?
Discover the dramatic forces creating spectacular weather on neighboring planets and moons.
Explore big discoveries that have revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
Explore the spectacular cosmic phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.