Tethys
An icy moon of Saturn with a giant crater.
Tethys is the fifth-largest moon of Saturn, about 1,060 km across. With a density of 0.98 g/cm3 it is almost pure water ice. Its bright surface is heavily cratered; the crater Odysseus is about 400 km wide and the rift Ithaca Chasma runs more than 2,000 km.
Giovanni Domenico Cassini discovered it in 1684.
Quick Facts
- Named after
- Τηθύς Tēthys
- Discoverer
- G. D. Cassini
- Discovered
- 11 March 1684
- Periapsis
- 294, 590 km / 367 mi
- Apoapsis
- 294, 649 km / 403 mi
- Average speed
- 11.35 km/s
- Inclination
- 1.12° (to Saturn's equator)
- Satellite of
- Saturn
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