Rev 152 - Aug 12-Sep 3, 2011 - Hyperion Options

[Phil Stooke]

Yes, the 'basin at the top' is Helios.



Phil

[S_Walker]

Here's a quick composite using the R,G, and B images, warped to approximately match each other. Color is a rough guestimate, because the exposures weren't consistent.

Sean Walker

[MarcF]

Thanks Phil. I like so much studying the maps of Solar System planets and moons. I could stay hours in front of a map. I think it's time to get an improved map of Hyperion. And I'm looking forward to learn all the future names of surface features. I just hope they will be easier to remember than those on Rhea !
Nice composite Sean. What a fascinating world !

[Juramike]

WAC color composite of Hyperion from 27,000 km away. I really like this shot.



So lonely.....

[Decepticon]

Im not convinced thats a crater.

To me it looks like it feel in on itself.

[ugordan]

Hyperion in natural color and a comparison shot from the previous close flyby:

[floron]

Hyperion crescent. Unfortunate that the "nose" got cut off in the NACs.

I know that this may be anathema to some people, but I took the liberty of painting the nose back in.

[Ian R]

Hi everyone,

I know I'm a little late to the party, but here's my attempt to animate the Hyperion flyby, resulting from judicious usage of some tweening and deshaking filters:

http://youtu.be/ARyY7BJhzhs?hd=1

The colour is false, but still pretty effective, nonetheless.

[Floyd]

Thanks Ian--Great animation.

[Juramike]

WOW! Beautiful work!

[machi]

"The colour is false, but still pretty effective, nonetheless."

Nice animation and color looks very natural.

[jasedm]

Im not convinced thats a crater.

To me it looks like it feel in on itself.

I agree - looks like a collapse. Hyperion's half empty by density, so it's perhaps not beyond the bounds of possibility.

[Phil Stooke]

To me, a classic impact crater with a central peak. Why would a collapse be so circular and have a central peak?

http://planetimages.blogspot.com/2005/09/v...s-hyperion.html

Phil

[jasedm]

I'm no planetary geologist (as I'm sure you'll shortly discover ) and I defer to your much greater experience on this Phil, it just appears to me to be very different to most impact craters, I'll try to explain why:

1) The dark lag deposits in the smaller craters appear evenly distributed both inside and outside the depression, and the surface appears visually very similar in age interior and exterior (similar crater sizes, and distribution).
2) The scarps are relatively bright, and fresher-looking than anywhere else on Hyperion
3) Some of the craters actually on or adjacent to the depression scarp look as if they've 'stretched' following slumping
4) The scarp is non-concentric, and in places non-existent
5) The rim is very subdued

As to the central mound, I have a wacky theory that I won't embarrass myself by airing just at the minute.....

On balance, Occam's razor no doubt applies here.

Jase

[ngunn]

Maybe there is a middle way. I can imagine that an impact into a very porous object might produce a crater, with characterisic features such as a central peak, that would nevertheless be more than usually sunken in. This might happen if the impact shattered an open structure and collapsed all the voids within. Don't ask me to 'produce' such a porous object. I don't know how to do it. But Hyperion is so peculiar that I'm prepared to entertain strange ideas.

Another thought about central peaks. I've always assumed they were produced by outward blasted material 'sloshing' inward after an impact, but I'm not sure this works in low g environments like Hyperion (and Vesta S).