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atheistforthebirthofjesus
Lv 6
atheistforthebirthofjesus asked in Science & MathematicsAstronomy & Space · 1 decade ago

Is Saturn's moon, Hyperion, a "captured comet-core" ?

here's a picture:

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

it *looks* like a captured snowball, which some people think a comet more or less is, composition-wise .... and the thin, dark layer could be just the deposit over millenia, of solar wind.

just a wild guess, but this picture sure looks like it supports the guess.(thinking back to the time when spacecraft approached the comet several years ago .. low density, chaotic rotation, etc ....

thoughts?

Update:

Slartibartfast, interesting point in re the orbital resonance. My guess was more or less guided by the crater-'forms' ... the <depth vs width> so totally unlike more solid-body moons ... like the impact-object went *in* with very little resistance .. like into a snow-bank and leaving sharp ridge-rims

again, I'm just guessing ... but the:

< HUGE mass for a comet >

//

<small mass for a moon>

might indicate a primiordal comet which accumulated much mass in the Ooort cloud and *slowly* drifted into the gravitational well-influence of Saturn ... where it went into orbit and, at a large distance from the sun, did not undergo outgassing ...

the *size* :

What is the largest comet? There have been some large ones in history, such as Comet Hale-Bopp, which was 60 miles in diameter.

http://home.comcast.net/~jimvb/2007/08/largest-com...

he sizes of cometary nuclei are mostly unknown because the measurement is a difficult one.

Update 2:

Lisa, yup, me too ... the mystery of the universe inspires awe in me the more I learn about it

{{{ LtP }}}

Update 3:

Slar.... consider the mass(es) of

Comet NEAT

Comet Linear

very, very big things

(and 'composition' of Pluto?)

1 Answer

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  • Lisa the Pooh
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    What a totally cool picture!

    I would guess its a captured comet-- just based on appearances.

    That's the thing I love about the universe-- all the mysteries within!

    (((AFTBOJ)))

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