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Saturn's Moon Iapetus Has A 'Belt'

Posted by timothy on from the it's-a-peach dept.

Believe writes "In another unexpected find by Cassini-Huygens, Saturn's moon Iapetus shows a bulging waistline. According to the story, the dark side of the moon is almost perfectly bisected by a tall, narrow ridge that runs for 1300 km (808 mi) and rises up to 20 km (12 mi) high. This height is amazing in such a small moon; it rivals Olympus Mons on Mars which is a body 5 times its size."

4 of 245 comments (clear)

  1. rotation ? by mirko · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Does it rotates in the same direction as its parent's belt ?

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  2. I know! by Vo0k · · Score: 0, Redundant

    http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/image -details.cfm?imageID=1270
    http://www.theforce.net /swtc/Pix/books/weg/dstc3.g if

    Striking similarity, isn't it? :)

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    Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
  3. that's no moon... by mabinogi · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Is it just me, or does that photo look disturbingly like an almost completed Death Star?

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  4. hrmm by magister · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Does anyone else notice that with that one crater and the ridge, it looks surprisingly like the Death Star.

    Anyway, thats my .02$

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    -magister-