Images of Saturn (7) - The Other Side of Iapetus

Images of Saturn (7) - The Other Side of Iapetus

Cassini captures the first high-resolution glimpse of the bright
trailing hemisphere of Saturn's moon Iapetus. This false-color mosaic
shows the entire hemisphere of Iapetus (1,468 kilometers, or 912 miles
across) visible from Cassini on the outbound leg of its encounter with
the two-toned moon in Sept. 2007. The central longitude of the
trailing hemisphere is 24 degrees to the left of the mosaic's center.

Also shown here is the complicated transition region between the dark
leading and bright trailing hemispheres. This region, visible along
the right side of the image, was observed in many of the images
acquired by Cassini near closest approach during the encounter.
Revealed here for the first time in detail are the geologic structures
that mark the trailing hemisphere. The region appears heavily
cratered, particularly in the north and south polar regions. Near the
top of the mosaic, numerous impact features visible in NASA Voyager 2
spacecraft images (acquired in 1981) are visible, including the
craters Ogier and Charlemagne.

http://www.martin-nicholson.info/saturn/saturn7.htm


Martin Nicholson, Daventry, England.
http://www.martin-nicholson.info/1/1a.htm

Visit the Astronomical Hall of Shame at http://www.geocities.com/queen5658/