Mimas, one of Saturn’s innermost moons, is a small celestial body that was discovered in 1789 by astronomer William Herschel. Notable for its stark resemblance to the fictional “Death Star” from the “Star Wars” films due to a large impact crater named Herschel, Mimas measures about 396 kilometers in diameter. This crater is significant relative to the moon’s overall size, featuring a diameter of 130 kilometers and a depth of 10 kilometers, making it one of the most defining features of Mimas. The moon is composed primarily of water ice with a small amount of rock, making it highly reflective and one of the brightest objects in the solar system. Its heavily cratered surface and irregular shape, along with its relatively low density, indicate that Mimas is largely geologically inactive, serving as a frozen snapshot of the early solar system’s conditions.
Researchers have discovered a global ocean of liquid water beneath the surface of Mimas, one of Saturn’s smallest moons. This discovery, made possible by data…
Discovery Could Point to a New Class of “Stealth” Ocean Worlds A study by the Southwest Research Institute revealed that Mimas, Saturn’s innermost moon, likely…
The Solar System’s second largest planet both in mass and size, Saturn is best known for its rings. These are divided by a wide band,…
This image is from NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft as it made its final close approach to Saturn’s moon Mimas. In its season of “lasts,” NASA’s Cassini…
This newly released Cassini image shows Mimas’ gigantic crater Herschel near the moon’s limb. A big enough impact could potentially break up a moon. Luckily…
This newly released Cassini image shows Herschel Crater on Saturn’s Moon Mimas, revealing an indication of the size of the crater’s towering walls and central…
In this new image from the Cassini Spacecraft, Saturn’s icy moon Mimas is dwarfed by the planet’s enormous rings. Because Mimas (near lower left) appears…
This newly released image form the Cassini Spacecraft shows Saturn and Mimas. The shadow of Saturn on the rings, which stretched across all of the…
A newly released image of Saturn’s moons Janus and Mimas from the Cassini Spacecraft. Saturn’s moons Janus and Mimas coast in their silent orbits beyond…
This newly released Cassini image shows Saturn’s moons Tethys, Enceladus, and Mimas. Three of Saturn’s moons — Tethys, Enceladus, and Mimas — are captured in…
This NASA image of the day shows Saturn’s moons Mimas and Pandora. Although Mimas and Pandora, shown here, both orbit Saturn, they are very different…
Taken by NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, this image reveals the 130-kilometer-wide impact crater on Saturn’s moon Mimas. The great eye of Saturn’s moon Mimas, a 130-kilometer-wide…
New data from NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft reveal that Saturn’s moon Mimas may have a liquid water ocean beneath the moon’s impact-battered surface. A new study…
This Cassini spacecraft image shows a thin sliver of Saturn’s moon Mimas. A thin sliver of Mimas is illuminated, the long shadows showing off its…
This newly released image from the Cassini spacecraft shows Saturn’s moon Mimas. As if trying to get our attention, Mimas is positioned against the shadow…