Astronomy Picture Of The Day Explore the cosmos Every day, a new image or photograph of the universe is presented. A brief explanation by an astronomer is included. 2021 July 30Explanation: The Saturn-facing hemisphere, Mimas, is seen peering out from the shadows alongside a striking sunlit crescent. This mosaic was taken near Cassini's last close approach on January 30, 2017. Cassini was 45,000 kilometers away from Mimas when Cassini pointed his camera in the sunward direction. This is the best resolution view of the 400-kilometer-diameter, icy, crater-pocked moon. A better version shows the Saturn-facing hemisphere lit by sunlight reflected directly from Saturn. You can see it by moving your cursor over this image or following this link. Cassini images that include Mimas also include the large, ominous Herschel Crater and the small moon.
