Mars’ two moons projected in the skies over Dubai’s Al Qudra

Phobos and Deimos, the two moons of Mars which suddenly appeared in Dubai’s Al Qudra region, were a part of a campaign organised by the UAE Government Media Office to celebrate the Hope Probe, which is hoped to enter the red planet’s orbit on February 9.

The Martian moons were projected in the sky using a new technology that has never been seen before in the UAE, a statement said.

Two giant 100-metre cranes and a 40-metre screen were used to make the moons appear realistically in the sky and visible from long distances.

“The idea was to create a way that allows everyone to see what the Hope Probe is capturing 500 million miles away,” a statement said.

The campaign is aimed at raising awareness around Hope Probe’s insertion on the Mars atmosphere.

“The Mars Mission is one of the biggest challenges of the country’s history and one of the boldest initiatives of the UAE: conquer space,” said Khaled AlShehhi, executive director of Production and Digital Communication Sector at the UAE Government Media Office.

“So, to create awareness about this important fact, there’s nothing better than bringing the two moons of Mars to Earth.

Deimos and Phobos were discovered by the American astronomer Asaph Hall in 1877 and named for one of the sons of Ares, the Greek counterpart of the Roman god Mars.