Image 4-24
Cratered Hyperion

This color view of Saturn's tiny moon Hyperion was captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft. This small, potato-shaped moon is only 165 miles (266 km) across. It is the largest irregular object in orbit around Saturn. Hyperion's surface is so heavily cratered that scientists believe another object may have blasted away part of its surface, leaving this irregular fragment behind. It is believed that Hyperion's cratered surface may be the oldest in the Saturnian system. The largest crater on this tiny moon measures 75 miles (120 km) in diameter and is over 6 miles (10 km) deep.