Mimas

Saturn · moon · ice world

Tiny but round. Mimas is so small (about 246 miles across) that you could drive across it in a few hours, yet it's round enough to be called a proper moon. It's the smallest space object we know that's been pulled into a sphere shape by its own gravity.

Made of ice. Mimas is mostly water ice, like a giant frozen snowball in space. Scientists think there might be a hidden ocean of liquid water underneath all that ice, which makes it super interesting to study.

Giant impact scar. Mimas has a massive crater called Herschel that's 86 miles across, making it look a bit like the Death Star from Star Wars. This crater formed when something crashed into Mimas with incredible force billions of years ago.

Ring-shaping moon. Mimas orbits in just the right way to clear out a giant gap in Saturn's rings called the Cassini Division. Its gravity tugs on ring particles and kicks them out of that space, creating one of the clearest breaks in the ring system.

Recently discovered. Mimas wasn't found until 1789 when the astronomer William Herschel spotted it. It's named after Mimas, a giant from ancient Greek mythology.