Astro-images of the day: new Iapetus images from the Cassini spacecraft

[mckitterick]

Wow, what a freakish and fascinating world. Here are some photos of Saturn's moon, Iapetus, taken just yesterday by the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft. I selected a few of the most dramatic images to show here, but if you click the link you can see about 500 more in huge resolution.

This moon has a bright side - the side we can see from Earth - and a dark side, with a dramatic transition zone between them. I've arranged the photos below to emphasize that light-to-dark nature. This is also the world with that massive wall going around it like the ridge of a walnut. To see more of that feature, check out my previous AIotD here.

Without further ado, Iapetus:





Click the images to see the NASA story and get high-res images.

Best,
Chris

Comments

[edichka2.livejournal.com]

It's the face of the Virgin! The face of the Virgin, on Iapetus! Praise the Lord!

- Eddie

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

*g*

Y'know, this world stirs the imagination of all manner of wingnuts out there. Even some well-respected folks, such as Arthur C. Clarke, seek unlikely answers to things such as the world-spanning wall and "coal-dust-coated" surface.

[fortyozspartan.livejournal.com]

The white specs are ice right?

And in the third picture the dark specs are rock not covered with ice? Looks like cookies 'n cream ice cream.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Right, ice, though the dark material's composition is still under debate. Is it organic (hydrocarbon-ey, not necessarily life-waste) like most dark stuff? Is it carbon welled up from below or dumped from other Saturnian moons? Is it alien pollution (my favorite *g*)?

But I wouldn't eat the stuff.

[queza7.livejournal.com]

Off-topic question, but who is coming to RenFest on the 23rd so I can add a name or two to my list? hdorsettcase says he's coming, and maybe adammaker too, so I could get one more person in free. Just need a first and last name. :)

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

I'm going, and Anthony H. (you've met him) with his girlfriend Diane, and I hope lots more folks.

Trying to send you his full name and the photos, but BOY is it taking a long time to send....

[queza7.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, and can I have copies of my tank pictures? Email is queza7@swbell.net. *grin*