Ayyub is an

impact crater An impact crater is a circular depression in the surface of a solid astronomical object formed by the hypervelocity impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact crater ...

in the northern hemisphere of Saturn's moon

Enceladus Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn (19th largest in the Solar System). It is about in diameter, about a tenth of that of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. Enceladus is mostly covered by fresh, clean ice, making it one of the most refle ...

. Ayyub was first observed in '' Cassini'' images during that mission's February 2005 flyby of Enceladus. It is located at 38.4° North

Latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

, 295.7° West

Longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lette ...

and is 18 kilometers across. The topography of the impact crater appears very subdued, suggesting that the crater has undergone significant viscous relaxation since its formation. Tectonics has also affected this crater, by influencing the final, polygonal shape of the crater as well disrupting the southeastern and northwestern margins of the crater following its formation. The crater is named after a fictional Damascus merchant from the " Tale of Ghanim bin Ayyub, the Distraught, the Thrall o’ Love" in ''

The Book of One Thousand and One Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

''. In the tale, he is father to Ghanim and Fitnah, and craters named

Ghanim Ghanim is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Antoine Ghanim, Lebanese politician and an MP in the Lebanese Parliament * Ghanim Abdulrahman al-Harbi, Saudi detainee at Guantanamo Bay * Ghanim Al-Jumaily (born 1950), the ambassador o ...

and Fitnah are found near the crater Ayyub.

References

Impact craters on Enceladus {{Crater-stub