What will our solar system look like some 40 million years from now? Of course, it depends upon the fact that mankind survives thus long, or our planet remains habitable until then. Scientists predict that 40 million years from now Mars will have a ring like Saturn.
The two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are named after the children of the god Ares, the Greek counterpart to Mars, the Roman god of war. Phobos is only about 14 miles long and rapidly orbits the Red Planet
Astronomers know that Phobos, one of the Mars Moons, is edging towards the planet at a rate of 7 feet per 100 years. Needless to say at some point in future the moon will destruct itself or will be torn asunder by the gravitational pull of the Red Planet. The ejecta will plunge into the planet or could end up forming a new ring around the moon.
Saturn has the most prominent rings, the three outer gas giants in the outer solar system also has some rings. However planetary scientists at UC Berkeley, Benjamin Black and Tushar Mittal feel that if the rings are formed, it will be so dense that it will rival Saturn’s rings. This is so because the material from Phobos is very loosely packed. Astronomers feel that Phobos is a pile of rock held together by a thin crust.
Researchers feel that as the moon will one day break apart and the larger pieces will crash on the Mars, creating new craters and the rest of the rubble will go into making the ring.
However, it is a big question if mankind will survive till then since,20 million years ago the closest thing to people on Earth were an ape-like creatures.
