Photos of Saturn's largest moon show badly pitted surface

Austin American Statesman ^ | June 13, 2004 | Thomas H. Maugh II

[Crazieman]

Actually, Mimas is just that.


Mimas, one of Saturn's moons.

[Truth666]

See that hole ? That was the birthplace of our moon

[NonValueAdded]

Looks to me like Cocoa Puffs.Or maybe Kix, given the color. But yeah, you are on to something.

[TXnMA]

What do you expect from an Austin paper[?]

Ah, I see. The Austin American Statesman. Calling that liberal rag, "fishwrap" insults rotten fish.

[GVnana]

Whew! Those are some bad lookin' rocks. Don't think I'd want to inhabit that place.

[OSHA]

I don't see any blemishes.

[SengirV]

The problem is that the idiot reporters can't even copy simply facts from NASA correctly. The NASA statement describes Phoebe as the largest "outer" moon of Saturn. The dult reporter said, duh I don't know what that means so instead of researching it I'll just drop the word outer and look smart duh. If you are looking for scientific accuracy from places other than the source or a publication that does not at least have a focus in that area, then you are asking to get incorrect information.

Of course I didn't RTFA, but I'd send an email to the reporter and to the editor and give them an education. Make sure you talk down to them and inform them that you learned this in 3rd grade. Maybe that will kickstart what little spark of self respect they have.

[balrog666]

Don't tell us you're really medved a Velikovskian!

[Phsstpok]

The Mimas "my God, we've found the Deathstar" incident at JPL when that picture was first released is what made me see the similarities (used by Jerry Pournelle and Larry Niven in their novel 'Footfall" from their own memories as invited guests at the event).

I read that Arthur C Clarke described it almost exactly like this in one of his books years before they actually got a picture. He supposedly said he didn't know how he got it right, it just was a good description of a moon like this when he needed one in his book. The story may be apocraphyl, but I still like it.

[al baby]

Little mountains though

[NautiNurse]

Don't think I'd want to inhabit that place.

New photo taken by Cassini--close up of Phoebe surface

[Mr. K]

you could have waited a few seconds longer before that screen grab!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[al baby]

last time i posted something to crazy i got booted for 3 days i gotta be careful

[kennedy]

Actually, the Deathstar has previously been located orbiting Saturn. It is the moon Mimas:

[Phsstpok]

You're right. See my post 34

[GVnana]

Ahh! Now THAT'S more like it!

[AdequateMan]

Yeah. It's not just pitted, it's badly pitted. We simply must enact legislation that would protect this endangered ecosystem from further damage! At the present rate of deterioration, there might be no moons of Saturn left for our children's children.
I am wondering how much pitting it takes to qualify as BADLY pitted. Is it simply too much pitting, or was the pitting actually poorly executed? Is it merely too pitted in the minds of round-planet activists, who would consider a lumpy-bumpy moon to be aesthetically unattractive? And who gets to determine what constitutes attractiveness for moons of Saturn? Shouldn't the people of Saturn get to vote on that? Why should Earth be the sole arbiter of what is attractive or beautiful for moons?

Badly pitted. That sounds a little harsh. Let's use pleasantly asymmetrical. That sounds less judgemental.