Saturn's Spongy Hyperion

This photo was taken on September 25, 2005 and received on Earth September 26, 2005. The camera was pointing toward Hyperion at approximately 90,604 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters.

By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published September 27, 2005 · Updated March 16, 2026

This image has not been validated or calibrated. A validated/calibrated image will be archived with the NASA Planetary Data System in 2006.

Hyperion is the largest highly irregularly shaped body in the solar system. It has no fixed spin axis but instead tumbles and rotates chaotically. Close-up views of Hyperion have revealed it to have an odd, spongy appearance.

Hyperion’s self-gravity is not enough to crush its materials together and eliminate gaps in its interior.

Written by

Space Daily Editorial Team

The Space Daily Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Space Daily takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.