Here are pictures from the Cassini mission in the Saturn system of Iapetus from last month's flyby. There are closeup images of the mountains on the equator in the dark area and the first good view of the southern part of the white area. The northern white area had been seen by the Voyagers in the 80s from further away. This is the first time we get to see the big white crater in the south and the remains of another one besides it. I already got a new map into the Celestia 3d space program to look at it.
Here is a story about a possible reason for the light and dark sides of this world. It collects dark dust from the small dark outer moons of Saturn as it orbits Saturn. The leading side collects the dust and becomes dark, heating up that side, so that the water ice becomes vapor and becomes solid again on the other side.
Here is a story about a possible reason for the light and dark sides of this world. It collects dark dust from the small dark outer moons of Saturn as it orbits Saturn. The leading side collects the dust and becomes dark, heating up that side, so that the water ice becomes vapor and becomes solid again on the other side.
