 An angled view of Herschel from theCassini orbiter | |
| Feature type | Central peak impact basin |
|---|---|
| Location | Leading hemisphere,Mimas |
| Coordinates | 1°23′S111°46′W / 1.38°S 111.76°W /-1.38; -111.76[1] |
| Diameter | ~139 km (86 mi)[1] |
| Depth | 10–12 km (6.2–7.5 mi)[2] |
| Discoverer | Voyager 1 |
| Eponym | William Herschel |
Herschel (/ˈhɜːrʃəl/) is the largestimpact crater on theSaturnian moonMimas. It is located on Mimas's leading hemisphere, centered on the equator at 112°longitude. It is named after the 18th-century astronomerWilliam Herschel, who discovered Mimas in 1789.
Herschel is the second-largest crater relative to its parent body of anyequilibrium planetary moon in the Solar System afterTethys's craterOdysseus.[3] It is so large that astronomers have expressed surprise that Mimas was not shattered by the impact that caused it. It measures 139 kilometres (86 miles)[1] across, almost one third the diameter of Mimas. Its walls are approximately 5 km (3 mi) high,[4] parts of its floor are 10–12 km (6–7 mi) deep, and its central peak rises 6–8 km (3+1⁄2–5 mi) above the crater floor.[2]
The impact that formed Herschel must have nearly disrupted Mimas entirely. Large chasms (termedchasmata) that may be stress fractures due toshock waves from the impact traveling through it and focusing there can be seen on the opposite side of Mimas. The impact is also suspected of having something to do with the current "Pac-Man"–shaped temperature pattern on Mimas.[4] Herschel has an estimated age of around 4.1 billion years.[5]
The similarity between Mimas's appearance and theDeath Star inStar Wars due to the large size of Herschel has often been noted, both in the press and in NASA/JPL press releases.[6][7] This is a coincidence, however, as the crater's similarities were not discovered until 1980 whenVoyager 1 gained line of sight, three years after the film was made.[8]
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