An ultraviolet image of Mars' moon Phobos, taken by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter from 186 miles away. (CU/LASP and NASA)

In early December 2015, MAVEN was conveniently crossing the path of Phobos' orbit, making its observations that NASA scientists are analyzing today. (CU/LASP and NASA)

Mars' largest and most mysterious moon, Phobos, isn't like our moon. It's lopsided, covered in grooves, and NASA scientists think it may be falling apart.

But anew photo from the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) mission sheds a new, ultraviolet light on how the strange moon may have formed and what exactly it's made out of.

In the photo above, you can see mid-ultraviolet sunlight reflecting off of the bottom portion of the moon as a murky orange. The blue specks are far ultraviolet light scattered off of hydrogen gas.

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"Comparing MAVEN's images and spectra of the surface of Phobos to similar data from asteroids and meteorites will help planetary scientists understand the moon's origin – whether it is a captured asteroid or was formed in orbit around Mars," NASA's press release reads.

As scientists analyze the image and other data collected from the MAVEN mission that took place in late November and early December, they may be able to tell if organic matter exists on Phobos.

The image was captured in close orbit, only 186 miles away from the moon.

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