Saturn is the mooniest planet in our Solar System, with us having discovered over 80 of them. While many moons have interesting features, only one of them look like they could destroy Alderaan. Say hello to the moon Mimas, which as you may notice, looks a bit familiar.
That’s right, Mimas look like the Death Star from Star Wars. While the entire surface of the moon is riddled with craters (meaning the world is quite old), the 80 mile diameter Herschel Crater is without a doubt its most defining feature. It is thought that the impactor responsible for this crater nearly tore the world apart. In fact, there are fractures on the opposite side of the surface, demonstrating the intensity of the impact. The myriad of craters also implies the world to be frozen, which is a bit puzzling, as the position of the moon suggests to scientists that there would be a great bit of tidal heating, which would result in a warmer world. This paradox has led to the “Mimas Test,” which requires that any theory that explains the partially thawed water of the moon Enceladus (a moon near Mimas) must also explain the entirely frozen water of Mimas. The exact reason for the conditions of Mimas are still unclear, but as you may know, the dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural…
Reigen's Guide to the Galaxy 
I love the fact that things like the Mimas test exist, because it shows how little we still know about space. It’s also a reminder that almost everything that we learn about space is just a theory and not yet a proven fact. Also, do you know if the Death Star was modeled after Mimas, or if it was just a coincidence?
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Like Ben says below, I think it’s just a cool coincidence. “A New Hope” came out in 1977, a few years before we could really see Mimas clearly.
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It’s crazy that the Death Star looks so similar to Mimas, yet it was not modeled after Mimas because Mimas was not seen in this much detail until 1980, which was after the premiere of Star Wars. It’s a wild coincidence. Also wild that the Herschel Crater is so large compared to the other craters. But yes, you’re definitely right that Mimas is an older world due to the quantity of craters still present on the surface.
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That’s no moon… it’s a space station! I loved reading this post- it’s so fascinating that a crater that big didn’t completely tear the world apart- I wonder if Mimas’ composition (or characteristics of the impactor, like its density?) had anything to do with that? Either way, the discovery of this moon (and striking resemblance with the Death Star) was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one! I’m sure Herschel would definitely say it was a fine addition to his collection
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I agree, it makes you wonder what kind of moon Mimas has to be to withstand that kind of force. Surely as more discoveries are made about Mimas’s composition, it will make more sense, but until then we will just have to wonder! Same about the impactor. I wonder how much we can learn about the impactor itself by studying the crater and conditions of Mimas? The impact would have been insane to witness…
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