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Cassini's flyby of Mimas – Part 1
Posted under Cassini • MimasOn February 13, 2010, Cassini flew within 9.500 kilometers of Mimas, the closest encounter yet with Saturn’s Death Star-like moon, which averages 396 kilometers in diameter. Cassini approached from the night side and retreated with a nearly full-phase view of Mimas’ leading hemisphere including the giant Herschel Crater. The highest resolution view of Herschel was obtained from a distance of about 15.000 kilometers. Two multispectral mosaics covered most of the visible disk around the crater. One of the last shots caught by Cassini’s camera shows a full-globe Mimas with the limb of Saturn as a backdrop.
High resolution mosaic of Herschel Crater
Four of the highest resolution views from Cassini’s flyby (images N00151508/20/25/44, taken from a mean distance of 20,823 kilometers) were assembled to this mosaic and show the giant Herschel Crater and its surroundings. The steep slopes of the 140 kilometers wide crater are about 5 kilometers high, and parts of the floor are approximately 10 kilometers deep. The mosaic was rotated to put north up.
(Replaced with an improved version on April 18, 2010.)
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/Mosaic by astroarts.org
Mimas in Color
Cassini was about 71.500 kilometers from Mimas when it captured the images for this false-color composite. Images taken through infrared, blue, and ultraviolet filters produce a view of the moon that emphasizes the interesting bluish-white color splotch on its leading hemisphere, centered on the giant Herschel Crater.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/astroarts.org
Closeups of Herschel Crater in Color
Images taken through infrared, blue, and ultraviolet filters produce these two detailed false-color views of Herschel Crater. The image on the right shows the southern rim of the crater from a distance of about 15.700 kilometers.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute/astroarts.org
