|
You are here:
BBC >
Science & Nature >
Space >
Solar System >
Saturn
|
|
MAIN MOONS: Titan
Iapetus
Dione Enceladus
Mimas
|
DIONE
|
· Your travel guide to the Solar System ·
|
 |
|
|
|
DEFINITION
Dione is a moon orbiting the planet Saturn, about a third as large as Earth's Moon.
REASONS TO VISIT
- See the two halves of Dione which have very different scenery
- Visit craters 200 km (125 miles) across
|
|
|
|
WHAT TO SEE
The surface of this moon is mainly water ice, with traces of silicate rocks.
Two halves of Dione
The surface is split into two regions. The first hemisphere is littered with huge craters up to 200 km (215 miles) wide.
The other hemisphere is covered in bright streaks across a dark background. These may be frosty deposits on the moon's surface.
Dione may have been geologically active in its early history. This could have caused this difference between the two surface areas. Originally all the surface would have been covered in these streaks. Then frequent meteor impacts on one hemisphere obliterated the natural surface.
|
LOCAL HISTORY
Many satellites of Saturn take their names from Greek mythology. The name Saturn is actually taken from Roman mythology. Saturn was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite.
Dione was a giantess and the mother of Aphrodite. Her father was the King of the Gods - Zeus (or Jupiter in the Roman stories).
Discovery
The satellite was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684.
SPOTTING DIONE FROM EARTH
Dione is not visible from the Earth with the naked eye, but can be seen with a telescope.
|
|
|
|
