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ORBONIX · SATURN SYSTEM
MIMAS
A small icy moon of Saturn famous for its
enormous impact crater and its striking
resemblance to the fictional Death Star.
MIMAS · NASA / CASSINI
396 km
DIAMETER
185,520 km
DISTANCE FROM SATURN
0.94 DAYS
ORBITAL PERIOD
1.15 g/cm³
AVERAGE DENSITY
≈ −200°C
APPROX. SURFACE TEMPERATURE
ICE + ROCK
MAIN COMPOSITION
THE DEATH STAR MOON
Mimas is one of Saturn's smaller major moons
and is composed primarily of water ice mixed
with rocky material.
Its most famous feature is Herschel Crater,
a gigantic impact crater approximately
130 kilometers wide.
The crater covers a substantial portion of
Mimas' surface and gives the moon its famous
resemblance to the fictional Death Star.
Mimas is also tidally locked to Saturn,
meaning the same side of the moon always
faces the planet.
HERSCHEL CRATER
The enormous Herschel Crater is about
one-third the diameter of Mimas itself.
ICY WORLD
Mimas is dominated by water ice,
giving its surface a bright appearance.
TIDALLY LOCKED
Mimas rotates once for every orbit
around Saturn, keeping one hemisphere
facing the planet.
DID YOU KNOW?
Mimas' enormous Herschel Crater makes
the moon look remarkably similar to the
Death Star.
MORE THAN THE HERSCHEL CRATER
Mimas is famous for Herschel, an impact crater so large relative to the moon that it dominates its appearance. The moon's small size and heavily cratered icy surface initially suggested a comparatively simple interior.
However, analyses of its motion have motivated research into whether Mimas may contain a subsurface ocean. The interpretation remains an active area of study and illustrates how orbital measurements can reveal structures hidden beneath an apparently inactive surface.
IMAGE:
NASA / JPL-CALTECH / SPACE SCIENCE INSTITUTE