September 26, 2022
On this date in 2005, the Cassini spacecraft completed its first targeted flyby of Saturn’s moon Hyperion. Hyperion is composed primarily of water ice and small amounts of rock. It was the first non-spherical moon to be discovered and has been likened to a “pile of rubble”. Rather than being a solid object, it is composed of smaller pieces that have come together under the influence of gravity.
This “true-color” image of Hyperion reveals its lumpy, cratered surface. This image was taken during Cassini’s close flyby on Sept. 26, 2005. Image credit: NASA / JPL / SSI / Gordan Ugarkovic