How does a Asteroid make this?

That's No Space Station
07.26.04



Soon after orbital insertion, Cassini returned its best look yet at the heavily cratered moon Mimas (398 kilometers, 247 miles across). The enormous crater at the top of this image, named Herschel, is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) wide and 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep.



[edit on 26-7-2004 by swordfish]

Well I can't get the picture to post but if you go to the NASA site you can see the picture of one of Saturns moons that looks like the death star. I am curious as to how that mountain feature came up in the middle of the crater. Any Ideas?

[edit on 26-7-2004 by swordfish]

How about posting a link to the image you're referencing or the image itself?

Oops...I guess we posted at the same time (your edit and my image request)

[edit on 26-7-2004 by Makuahine]

Here is the image.

Thanks King, any idea on how that formation formed in the middle. I really wish NASA would give their opinions with the caption, but sometimes they are probably just as clueless.

have you ever dropped a ball into a calm space of water? try it in your bathtub or sink... water in the center splashes back up right? well, it's pretty much like that. except when the asteroid hit the moon it turned the surface molton rock, and that's what spalshed.

There are two different types of craters formed from impacts. This type is called a complex crater and isn�t all that uncommon. This is a link to the Department of Earth Science and Engineerings explanation of this type of formation.

And since the temperature of the planet is extremely cold the "splash" hardened that fast? Would that be right?

In my opinion one of the most interesting things about that crater is its size, I�m surprised it didn�t obliterate that entire object.

NOw thats impressive but I highly doubt anything out of the ordinary. But the comparison to the death star is well "neat"

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid
except when the asteroid hit the moon it turned the surface molton rock, and that's what spalshed.

Actually in these cases it's because solid rock acts like liquid in bigger impacts.

This is very good page:
www.uwgb.edu...

Actually it's first link which Google showed with words "central", "peak" and "crater".

I don't get how such a small moon didn't get destroyed by that asteroid.

Are there any pics of the event itself??

Originally posted by E_T
Actually in these cases it's because solid rock acts like liquid in bigger impacts.

that's basically what i was trying to say, but it was really late for me... i should refraind from posting so late at night. and that is a really great link. thanks.

Originally posted by VirusClock
I don't get how such a small moon didn't get destroyed by that asteroid.

actually, it almost did. here's a link about the death star... excuse me, mimas, and more importantly Herschel crater. www.solarviews.com...

One of the craters, named Herschel, is surprisingly large in comparison to the size of the moon. The crater is 130 kilometers (80 miles) wide, one-third the diameter of Mimas. Herschel is 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep, with a central mountain almost as high as Mount Everest on Earth. This central peak rises 6 kilometers (4 miles) above the crater floor. This impact probably came close to disintegrating the moon. Traces of fracture marks can be seen on the opposite side of Mimas.

hope that helps.

Originally posted by xenometric
Are there any pics of the event itself??

nope... the event happened, most likely, around the time the moon was forming.

EDIT: forgot quotes...

[edit on 7/27/2004 by cmdrkeenkid]

oh rite that long ago

Here's other example of impact which almost shattered whole moon. (or should I say asteroid)

www.solarviews.com...

These object with low density can take pretty hard pounding before breaking. That's because shockwave can't advance so well in low density material.

Originally posted by cmdrkeenkid

Originally posted by E_T
Actually in these cases it's because solid rock acts like liquid in bigger impacts.

that's basically what i was trying to say, but it was really late for me... i should refraind from posting so late at night.

Yeah, brains start running in "autopilot" mode and thoughts start roaming.
That can been noticed also just before falling asleep.