That's not a moon...

[n2doc]

One of Saturn’s rings provides a beautiful backdrop for this incredible shot of Mimas. It was taken by the Cassini spacecraft on Feb. 13 from a distance of about 43,000 miles from Mimas.


Calypso is among the smaller of Saturn’s 62 moons at just 19 miles long. It follows the same orbit of the much larger moon Tethys, 60 degrees behind. The moon Telesto leads Tethys in the same orbit by 60 degrees.

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft took a swing by Saturn’s moons Mimas and Calypso over the weekend and sent back some fantastic shots released today.

Mimas is the 20th in size of Saturn’s 62 moons with a diameter of about 246 miles, and it may be the smallest body in the solar system that has been rounded by gravitational forces. It isn’t completely round, however, as can be seen in the image above, taken from around 15,000 miles away. Tidal forces have made its longest axis 10 percent greater than its shortest.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/gallery-mimas/

[The Doctor.]

1. Are we sure that the top one

isn't an airport body-scan of Rush that made it on the internetz?

Very happy with Cassini results.

[Kablooie]

2. Whoa! It's the Death Star, fossilized! A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far, away...

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Spectacular Photos!!! K&R!

:woohoo:

[krispos42]

4. Harry Turtledove wrote a short story once about the Winter Olympics having an event there.

Ultra-long-distance ski-jumping down the mountain in the center of the crater, mixed with a little murder to spice things up.

:-)