This extreme false-colour view of Hyperion shows colour variation across the impact-blasted surface of the tumbling moon.
Credit NASA/JPL
To create this false-colour view, ultraviolet, green and infrared images were combined into a single picture that isolates and maps regional colour differences. This "colour map" was then superposed over a clear-filter image that preserves the relative brightness across the body. The combination of the colour map and brightness image shows how colours vary across Hyperion's surface in relation to geologic features. The origin of the colour differences is not yet understood, but may be caused by subtle differences in the surface composition or the sizes of grains making up the icy surface material on Hyperion (280 kilometres across). The images used to create this view were acquired using the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on June 28, 2006 at a distance of approximately 294,000 kilometres from Hyperion. Image scale is 2 kilometres per pixel.
The tumbling and irregularly shaped moon Hyperion was imaged by the Cassini spaceprobe in December 2005. Hyperion is covered with closely packed and deeply etched pits. The warming action of the Sun on water ice lying beneath a darkened layer of surface material apparently has deepened and exaggerated the depressions already created by impacts.
The pervious image was taken in visible light with the Cassini spacecraft narrow-angle camera on December 23, 2005 at a distance of 228,000 kilometres from Hyperion and at a Sun-Hyperion-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 77 degrees. Resolution in the original image was about 1.4 kilometres per pixel. The image was magnified by a factor of two and contrast-enhanced to aid visibility.
Saturn's moon Hyperion's crater, Meri, blooms in this extreme colour-enhanced view. Meri is overprinted by a couple of smaller craters and displays dark material on its floor that is characteristic of many impact sites on this moon. The walls of craters seen here are noticeably smoother on their sloping sides than around their craggy rims.
To create this false-colour view, ultraviolet, green and infrared images were combined into a single black and white picture that isolates and maps regional colour differences. This "colour map" was then superimposed over a clear-filter image. The combination of colour map and brightness image shows how the colours vary across the moon's surface in relation to geologic features. The origin of the colour differences is not yet understood, but may be caused by subtle differences in the surface composition or the sizes of grains making up the icy soil. The images used to create this false-colour view were acquired on Sept. 26, 2005, at a mean distance of 17,900 kilometres from Hyperion. Image scale is about 110 meters per pixel.
This false-colour view of Saturn's moon Hyperion reveals details across the moon's surface. Differences in colour could represent differences in the composition of surface materials.
Hyperion has a notably reddish tint when viewed in natural colour. Images taken using infrared, green and ultraviolet spectral filters were combined to create this view. The images were taken with the Cassini spacecraft's narrow-angle camera at a distance of approximately 62,000 kilometres from Hyperion and at a Sun-Hyperion-spacecraft, or phase, angle of 52 degrees. The image scale is 362 meters per pixel.
Hyperion rotates chaotically, tumbling unpredictably under the influence of Saturn's and Titan's gravity.
Using Cassini's radar, the strength of Hyperion's gravity, and its mass is hoped to be measured, by slight changes in the speed of the Cassini spacecraft as it flew past. The chemical make-up of Hyperion's surface will also be mapped. The moon is exceptionally dark, reflecting only 30% of the light that falls on it, with a distinctly red tint. It is thought that it is dusted with dark material drifting in from Saturn's sooty outer moon, Phoebe.
The new images from the recent flyby show a very heavily cratered surface, and a giant cliff face tens of kilometres high – a remnant from a colossal impact.