Photo Agency - Astronomy - Space - Nature

> Saturn from Iapetus

Saturn from Iapetus

author: Walter B. Myers/Novapix

reference: a-sat99-01003

Image Size 300 DPI: 34 * 25 cm

In this image Saturn dominates Iapetus' velvet black sky framed by three inner moons. Left to right are Tethys, Rhea and Dione. Less than half the size of the Earth's moon, ice-covered Iapetus is one of the few places in the Solar System that offers a good view of Saturn's rings. This is because Iapetus' orbit is inclined almost 15 degrees to Saturn's equator. With the exception of Phoebe, none of Saturn's other satellites offer such a vantage point. Unlike haze-shrouded Titan, Iapetus has no atmosphere to speak of and is believed to be composed almost entirely of water ice.

Keywords for this photo:

ASTRONOMY - IAPETUS - ICE - ILLUSTRATION - PLANET - RING - SATELLITE - SATURN - SATURN'S MOON -