New Iapetus Images

Here's a raw image from the Sept. 10, 07 imaging of Iapetus.

saturn1.jpl.nasa.gov...

I was hoping there would be more than these crescent photos. There may be more to come, but here's what they've got on the raw image pages.

saturn1.jpl.nasa.gov...

Interesting how shiny this area is.

I'm curious--since these are "raw" images, does that mean that they'll release higher resolution versions of these images, or does that mean that they're just not "cleaned up," so to speak. Anyone know?

They just added more pictures. Wow, look how nice and close! saturn1.jpl.nasa.gov...

Thanks!

Can't wait to see pics of those big ass craters, hopefully in as much detail as that last pic you posted. Also, isn't Iapetus the moon with the square-shaped craters? Should be interesting....

Also, that ridge is pretty impressive at 12 miles high. Thats more than 2 Everests' on top of each other....on a moon?!

[edit on 10-9-2007 by drunknmunky]

This is odd looking. I don't know what those curved areas are.



Full Res Image

reply to post by yuefo


uh...looks like dirt bud.

reply to post by joeyvelder


Since you're new here, just thought I'd point you to this re one-liners: www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by yuefo


got it, no one liners...its still dirt.

Where's the Star Gate Monolith ?

Nice pictures especially the first one, that ridge around the equator is an interesting feature.

[edit on 11-9-2007 by DarkSide]

Also, that ridge is pretty impressive at 12 miles high. Thats more than 2 Everests' on top of each other....on a moon?!

Don't make the mistake of thinking that higher mountains would be found on larger objects. You have to remember that the gravitational pull of a moon like Iapetus is much weaker than that of a more massive object like Earth, and this means that Iapetus has a lesser ability to pull itself into a spherical shape. Therefore, really high mountains, ridges and other features are more likely to exist on moons than planets.

Mars is smaller than Earth, and yet Olympus Mons (the largest of several huge volcanoes on Mars) is three times the height of Everest.


[edit on 11-9-2007 by Mogget]

[edit on 11-9-2007 by Mogget]

Originally posted by Mogget
Don't make the mistake of thinking that higher mountains would be found on larger objects. You have to remember that the gravitational pull of a moon like Iapetus is much weaker than that of a more massive object like Earth, and this means that Iapetus has a lesser ability to pull itself into a spherical shape. Therefore, really high mountains, ridges and other features are more likely to exist on moons than planets.

That's an interesting way of looking at it. However, I disagree. There's a threshold mass at which a body's gravity overcomes the tensile strength of the materials composing it. Tiny Enceladus, 1/3 the size Iapetus (300 mile diameter), is spherical. Also consider our own moon. Its gently sloping mountains can be walked up, and they would be considered mere hills on earth.

Mars is smaller than Earth, and yet Olympus Mons (the largest of several huge volcanoes on Mars) is three times the height of Everest.

True, but this probably has more to do with Mars' unique geological history than its weaker gravity. Also remember that earth's erosional effects are greater. As for Iapetus, the gigantic ridge is completely unique among surface features of the known moons and planets, not just because of its length (at least 800 miles) but also its height. Geologists do not yet have a convincing explanation for it.

[edit on 9/11/2007 by yuefo]

Just a heads up that JPL has updated their Iapetus raw images page with yet more images, including a new look at the "wall." saturn.jpl.nasa.gov...

Yuefo,

I have experienced great difficulty finding suitable websites relating to my explanation for high mountains on small objects, but you might want to click on the following links:-

media4.obspm.fr...
www.hull.ac.uk...

With respect to your comment that Enceladus has a smooth surface, it is worth pointing out that small objects don't necessarily have large mountains. Enceladus is a relatively active moon, due to internal heating caused by tidal stress from Saturn and some of its other moons. This constant flexing has resulted in a certain amount of "volcanic" activity (ice volcanism), causing huge portions of the surface to become smooth.

Enceladus may be smaller than Iapetus, but it is massive enough to pull itself into a spherical shape.

[edit on 13-9-2007 by Mogget]


[edit on 13-9-2007 by Mogget]

Originally posted by joeyvelder
reply to post by yuefo

 

uh...looks like dirt bud.

It's MOON dirt Joey, MOON dirt. It's special dirt ok.

Great pics btw, very interesting to see one of Saturn's moons so close up. Saturn was always my favourite planet as a kid.

Just because no discussion on Iapetus is complete without the old Death Star link thought I would be first to throw it in here.
I actually thought these new photo's might dismiss the octagonal crater story but looking at them some definitely still seem to have a touch of that geometric shape..

[edit on 13/9/07 by CthulhuRising]

Wow, those are mighty impressive pictures of Saturn, No sign of any earth size spaceship though, imagine the view from that tiny moon in the last picture, a whole planet covering the horizon. It is a very strange moon, perhaps a little far fetched to say is is artificial, can definitly see were George Lucas got his idea of the death star from though, they are almost identical.

Originally posted by Mogget
With respect to your comment that Enceladus has a smooth surface, it is worth pointing out that small objects don't necessarily have large mountains.

I don't really think we're disagreeing here Mogget. As I mentioned, unique geological characteristics come into play, but my point was that, generally speaking, bodies reaching a certain threshhold of mass will collapse into a spherical shape overall.

Speaking of "spherical shape overall," what do you think of the fact that Iapetus isn't spherical? Note that I'm not talking about the "wall" but rather Iapetus's periodic "flat spots." It's discussed in the Hoagland link CthulhuRising provided as well as here.

There are new images posted since yesterday at the Cassini site. Here's one that shows the inexplicably nonspherical shape of Iapetus.

reply to post by yuefo


I would not say inexplicable. Changes to Iapetus' temperature and rate of rotation could, over time, lead to a nonspherical shape.