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New page: '''Hyperion''' is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. It is distinguished by its irregular shape, its chaotic rota...
'''Hyperion''' is a [[moon]] of [[Saturn]] discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. It is distinguished by its irregular shape, its chaotic rotation, and its unexplained sponge-like appearance.
==Physical characteristics==
Hyperion is one of the largest highly irregular (non-spherical) bodies in the [[solar system]] (second to [[Proteus (moon)|Proteus]]). The largest [[crater]] on Hyperion is approximately 121.57 km in diameter and 10.2 km deep. A possible explanation for the irregular morphology is that Hyperion is a fragment of a larger body that was broken by a large impact in the distant past, an event which has been linked to the enigmatic darkening of [[Iapetus (moon) |Iapetus]].<ref name="Matthews1992">Robert A. J. Matthews; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992QJRAS..33..253M ''The Darkening of Iapetus and the Origin of Hyperion''], Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 33 (September 1992), pp. 253–258</ref>
==Name==
The moon is named after [[Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]], a [[Titan]] in [[Greek mythology]]. It is also designated '''Saturn VII'''. The adjectival form of the name is ''Hyperionian''.
Hyperion's discovery came shortly after [[John Herschel]] had suggested names for the seven previously-known satellites of Saturn in his 1847 publication ''Results of Astronomical Observations made at the Cape of Good Hope''.<ref>As reported by William Lassell, [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0008//0000042.000.html Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 42–43] [[1848]] [[January 14]])</ref> [[William Lassell|Lassell]], who saw Hyperion two days after [[William Cranch Bond|Bond]], had already endorsed [[John Herschel|Herschel]]'s naming scheme and suggested the name Hyperion in accordance with it.<ref>Lassell, W.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0008//0000195.000.html ''Discovery of a New Satellite of Saturn''], Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 8, No. 9 (November 1848), pp. 195–197</ref> He also beat Bond to publication.<ref>Bond, W. C.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0009//0000001.000.html ''Discovery of a new satellite of Saturn''], Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 9, No. 1 ([[November 10]], [[1848]]) pp. 1–2</ref>
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Astronomy]]
==Physical characteristics==
Hyperion is one of the largest highly irregular (non-spherical) bodies in the [[solar system]] (second to [[Proteus (moon)|Proteus]]). The largest [[crater]] on Hyperion is approximately 121.57 km in diameter and 10.2 km deep. A possible explanation for the irregular morphology is that Hyperion is a fragment of a larger body that was broken by a large impact in the distant past, an event which has been linked to the enigmatic darkening of [[Iapetus (moon) |Iapetus]].<ref name="Matthews1992">Robert A. J. Matthews; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1992QJRAS..33..253M ''The Darkening of Iapetus and the Origin of Hyperion''], Quarterly Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 33 (September 1992), pp. 253–258</ref>
==Name==
The moon is named after [[Hyperion (mythology)|Hyperion]], a [[Titan]] in [[Greek mythology]]. It is also designated '''Saturn VII'''. The adjectival form of the name is ''Hyperionian''.
Hyperion's discovery came shortly after [[John Herschel]] had suggested names for the seven previously-known satellites of Saturn in his 1847 publication ''Results of Astronomical Observations made at the Cape of Good Hope''.<ref>As reported by William Lassell, [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0008//0000042.000.html Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 42–43] [[1848]] [[January 14]])</ref> [[William Lassell|Lassell]], who saw Hyperion two days after [[William Cranch Bond|Bond]], had already endorsed [[John Herschel|Herschel]]'s naming scheme and suggested the name Hyperion in accordance with it.<ref>Lassell, W.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0008//0000195.000.html ''Discovery of a New Satellite of Saturn''], Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 8, No. 9 (November 1848), pp. 195–197</ref> He also beat Bond to publication.<ref>Bond, W. C.; [http://adsabs.harvard.edu//full/seri/MNRAS/0009//0000001.000.html ''Discovery of a new satellite of Saturn''], Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 9, No. 1 ([[November 10]], [[1848]]) pp. 1–2</ref>
==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Astronomy]]