Scientists have obtained their closest view yet of Saturn’s tiny moon Epimetheus. Taken by the Cassini spacecraft, the portrait shows that the moon, whose name in Greek means “afterthought”, has an irregular shape and is pocked with soft-edged craters. The high density of these craters implies that the surface of Epimetheus is several billion years old.
MOON SHOT. False-color composite of Saturn’s tiny moon Epimetheus, seen by
the Cassini spacecraft from a distance of 74,600 kilometers.
Log in
Subscribers, enter your e-mail address for full access to the Science News archives and digital editions.