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Mimas (moon) facts for kids

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Mimas Cassini
Mimas, with the Herschel crater clearly seen. Image made of six images taken by Cassini on February 13, 2010, when Cassini was 9,500 km away.

Mimas (from the Greek Μίμᾱς) is one of Saturn's largest moons. It is also called Saturn I. Mimas is best known for its large crater, Herschel. In the centre of the crater is a very high mountain. Mimas was discovered by the English astronomer William Herschel on September 17, 1789. The moon is believed to have created the Cassini Division. This is a 4,800 km gap between Saturn's A and B rings.

Discovery and naming

Mimas was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. He discovered it on September 17. Herschel discovered it along with another Saturnian moon, Enceladus Mimas was named after one of the Titans in mythology. Mimas was the giant.

Surface

Mimas is full with craters like our Moon. But unlike the craters on the Moon, Mimas has icy craters like going through an icy object. Mimas has craters, but the most famous is the Herschel crater. It is 130 km (80 mi) in diameter. The diameter of Herschel is about 1/3 of Mimas. If a comet or asteroid that hit Mimas were to hit Earth, the crater would be seen from space with all the Earth shown in view. Mimas would evaporate away if it was too close to the Sun.

Exploration

Mimas has been visited by 4 or 5 spacecrafts.

Mimas moon
Mimas from Cassini in January 2005


Images for kids

  • William Herschel's Twenty-Foot Reflecting Telescope HIN430

    Artwork depicting the Mimas discovery telescope

  • PIA06256 Mimas full view

    Cassini view of Mimas's trailing hemisphere, showing craters up to 6 km deep and 1-km-deep chasmata (grooves). The large crater near center is Morgan; Arthur is close to the lower right limb. Pelion Chasma is faintly visible as a horizontal trough left of Arthur and below Morgan.

  • CassiniPhotographMimasSaturn

    Mimas is the tiny white dot in the lower left. (Click to enlarge view.)

  • Mimas (NASA) PIA06176

    Mimas, silhouetted against Saturn's northern latitudes.

  • Mimas and F ring PIA09806

    Mimas, behind the F Ring.

  • Mimas shape

    Mimas viewed by Cassini looking distinctly egg-shaped.

  • PIA20515 - Mimas' Mountain (cropped)

    Mimas and mountain (October 22, 2016).

  • Mimas before limb sharp (colored)

    Mimas before Saturn's limb (color added) (February 13, 2010).

  • Mimas PIA12569

    Mimas mosaic with mostly high resolution.

  • Color Near Herschel Crater

    Mimas displays subtle color differences (false-color).

  • Mimas limb sharp

    Mimas' albedo features on crater walls (Herschel at lower right)

  • Mimas (NASA) map

    Mimas texture map

  • NASA Spacecraft Sees 'Pac-Man' on Saturn Moon (4474329146)

    Temperature map overlay of Mimas, commonly said to resemble Pac-Man.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mimas (satélite) para niños

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