Space / 2005-12-06
Cosmic Blasting Zone
NASA's image library records Cosmic Blasting Zone.
Saturn's impact-pummeled Hyperion stares back at Cassini in this six-image mosaic taken during the spacecraft’s close approach on Sept. 26, 2005. This up-close view shows a low density body blasted by impacts over the eons. Scientists originally believed that the spongy appearance of Hyperion is caused by a phenomenon called thermal erosion, in whi
A CLOSER LOOK
Saturn's impact-pummeled Hyperion stares back at Cassini in this six-image mosaic taken during the spacecraft’s close approach on Sept. 26, 2005. This up-close view shows a low density body blasted by impacts over the eons. Scientists originally believed that the spongy appearance of Hyperion is caused by a phenomenon called thermal erosion, in which dark materials accumulating on crater floors are warmed by sunlight and melt deeper into the surface, allowing surrounding ice to vaporize away. Cassini scientists now think that Hyperion’s unusual appearance can be attributed to the fact that it has an unusually low density for such a large object, giving it weak surface gravity and high porosity. These characteristics help preserve the original shapes of Hyperion’s craters by limiting the am
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FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
NASA Image and Video LibraryCosmic Blasting ZoneOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.