Search results
Cassini correctly surmised that Iapetus has a bright hemisphere and a dark hemisphere, and that it is tidally locked, always keeping the same face towards Saturn. This means that the bright hemisphere is visible from Earth when Iapetus is on the western side of Saturn, and that the dark hemisphere is visible when Iapetus is on the eastern side.
- 3.26 km/s
- Saturn
- 6700000 km²
Iapetus has been called the yin and yang of the Saturn moons because its leading hemisphere has a reflectivity (or albedo) as dark as coal (albedo 0.03-0.05 with a slight reddish tinge) and its trailing hemisphere is much brighter at 0.5-0.6.
People also ask
What hemisphere does Iapetus have?
Why is Iapetus a dark hemisphere?
Which hemisphere of Iapetus is the darkest?
How much sunlight does Iapetus reflect?
Iapetus has a bright and a dark hemisphere, with a ridge running along its equator. The dark region is called Cassini Regio and is the principal feature of the leading hemisphere. The surface of Iapetus is heavily cratered, with large impact basins up to 580 kilometres across.
Dec 17, 2004 · The leading hemisphere of Iapetus (the side that faces the. direction of rotation) is very dark, reflecting only about 4 percent of. the sunlight that falls on it. The trailing hemisphere reflects about 50. percent of the sunlight that falls on it.
Jul 30, 2022 · If Iapetus formed with its two contrasting hemispheres, we would expect newly formed craters to be brighter or darker depending on what hemisphere they are on, yet craters on the dark hemisphere are also dark, which suggests that the material is being renewed over time.
Nov 16, 2004 · Full-Res: PIA06521. This image shows the dark, leading hemisphere of the mysterious moon Iapetus. The dark area is the Cassini region, named for Giovanni Cassini, who discovered the moon in 1672. The diameter of Iapetus is 1,436 kilometers (892 miles).
Jun 27, 2016 · The most striking feature of Iapetus is its contrasting coloration. The leading hemisphere of the satellite is coal-black, while its backside is far brighter.
