Melanthius is the third largest impact crater

Impact crater

In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...

 on Tethys

Tethys (moon)

Tethys or Saturn III is a mid-sized moon of Saturn about across. It was discovered by G. D. Cassini in 1684 and is named after titan Tethys of Greek mythology. Tethys is pronounced |Odysseus]] is about 400 km in diameter, while the largest graben—Ithaca Chasma is about 100 km wide and...

, which is one of Saturn

Saturn

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...

's moons

Natural satellite

A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....

. Melanthius is 245 kilometres (152.2 mi) wide, and is located in the southern quadrant of Melanthius, named after the crater. Melanthius is noted for its prominent cluster of central peaks, which were formed in the original impact. The center of the crater is located at 58.5°S, 192.61°W.

Melanthius crater is named after the character Melanthius

Melanthius (Odyssey)

Melanthius, the son of Dolius, plays the minor, yet important character of Odysseus' disloyal goatherd in Homer's Odyssey. In contrast, Odysseus' cowherd, Philoetius, and swineherd, Eumaeus, have both remained loyal to Odysseus during his twenty years of wanderings, as had the father and six...

, son of Dolius

Dolius

In Greek mythology, more precisely in the epic tradition recounted in Homer's Odyssey, Dolius was a slave of Penelope whom she had received from her father Icarius on occasion of her marriage to Odysseus. He served as a gardener....

, who was Odysseus

Odysseus

Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....

' disloyal goatherd in Homer

Homer

In the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...

's Odyssey

Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...

.

External links

• Cassini images of Melanthius Crater