Discovered by W. & G. Bond, W. Lassell Date of Discovery 1848 Distance from Saturn 1,481,100 km Radius 180 × 140 × 112.5 km Mass 2 x 10^22 g Orbital Eccentricity 0.104 Orbital Inclination 0.43° Orbital Period 21.2766088 days Rotational Period ??? Density (gm/cm3) ???
Hyperion is quite an oddball moon. It is one of the largest irregularly shaped satellites yet observed. Its orbit is highly eccentric, which brings it very close to Titan. The combination of its strange orbit and the competing tugs of Saturn and Titan cause it to tumble and twist through space instead of rotate. Although it is composed of entirely of water ice, its surface is dark as if covered by reddish dust. It appears to have been heavily battered by meteors. In fact the strange shape, orbit, and rotation may have been caused by the impact of a large meteor long ago. One crater in particular is 120 km across, and 10 km deep. This heavy cratering leads some scientists to think this is one of the oldest of Saturn's moons.
Sources: NASA.gov space.com