Cassini: Another Death Star? (Tethys)

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bystander
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Cassini: Another Death Star? (Tethys)

Post by bystander » Mon Dec 03, 2012 3:04 pm

NASA | JPL-Caltech | Cassini Solstice Mission | CICLOPS | 2012 Dec 03

Another Death Star?

Although Mimas holds the unofficial designation of "Death Star moon," Tethys is seen here also vaguely resembling the space station from Star Wars. Apparently, Tethys doesn't want Mimas to have all the fun!

For images of Mimas (246 miles, or 396 kilometers) as the Death Star, see Flying by the 'Death Star' Moon.

Lit terrain seen here is on the leading hemisphere of Tethys (660 miles, or 1,062 kilometers across). North on Tethys is up and rotated 42 degrees to the right. The image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft wide-angle camera on June 28, 2012.

The view was acquired at a distance of approximately 43,000 miles (69,000 kilometers) from Tethys and at a Sun-Tethys-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 77 degrees. Image scale is 3 miles (4 kilometers) per pixel.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

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