Marsshine on Phobos

The Viking Orbiters have obtained several images of Phobos at large phase angles in which the portion of the satellite not directly illuminated by the Sun is faintly visible. A photometric analysis of one such image is presented to prove that the phenomenon is real and can be explained by Marsshine (i.e., the illumination of Phobos by sunlight reflected from Mars). Such images provide cross sections of Phobos and are useful in determining the true shape and size of the satellite. The cross section observed in Picture 111A03 agrees closely with that predicted by triaxial ellipsoid model of Phobos developed by Duxbury (1974).