Saturn's Coolest #4: Methone

[eyelessgame]

Methone is a tiny, tiny little rock. It's only three miles long. Its orbit is between Mimas and Enceladus. Cassini found it about six years ago.

Why is Methone on this list? Simple. It's a freaking space pod left by aliens.

Comments

[barking_iguana]

If a human jumped from Methone (given some magical light-weight, unencumbering protection from the (lack of) elements) could they reach escape velocity? (Assuming a solid surface that supported the human.)

[jayfurr]

The escape velocity for Methone is 3 km/h. Or .83 meters per second. So: possibly.

[eyelessgame]

We're presuming for this experiment that Methone had a solid surface, which that very likely isn't, unless the scientists are wrong and it's actually plastic. :) It'd be easier than from an asteroid, depending on which way you jumped, because once you get a significant distance from Methone (at the high point of your jump), you're technically in a different orbit, and Saturn's gravity will help pull you away. So it's easier to escape from than it would be from an asteroid of the same size, because of the proximity of the gas giant and the steep gravity gradient.

However, you'd be in an intersecting orbit, which means that after several years you could wind up back at Methone again.

[barking_iguana]

If you didn't intersect Saturn first.