Why it matters

Herschel shows how an impact structure can become the dominant visual fact of an entire moon.

What happenedA giant crater on Saturn's moon Mimas, so large it nearly defines the small world's appearance.
Why it mattersHerschel shows how an impact structure can become the dominant visual fact of an entire moon.
How scientists knowNASA Image and Video Library; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Measurements and uncertainty

Diameter139 km
Depthnot listed
Ageancient impact feature
StatusConfirmed
Coordinates1.380° S / 111.760° W
Record levelminimal

Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.

Scientific profile

The crater's size relative to Mimas highlights the limits of impact processing on small icy bodies.

Data provenanceNASA Image and Video Library; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Reconstruction gallery

More visual readings of the crater

If verified imagery is not enough, the profile receives a scientific reconstruction: not fantasy in place of fact, but a visual hypothesis clearly separated from sources.

World paletteicy turquoise, deep space, and distant moons
Herschel crater occupies a huge share of Mimas's visible disk.
Current visual previewBase plate: source image, satellite material, or editorial plate where visual reading begins.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Every profile needs a visualization preview: an existing image, an aesthetically treated source, or a scientific reconstruction.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Research history

The feature is known from Saturn-system missions, including Cassini.

Sources

CSVJSONHerschel on Mimas. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
NASA Image and Video Library; Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature
Uncertainty note
Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.
NASA Image and Video LibraryNASAGazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGS

Education mode

Facts

  • The crater diameter is a significant fraction of Mimas itself.
  • Its central peak is especially visible in images.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareOccator