Dark Terrain on Saturn's Iapetus

orin stepanek · Post by **orin stepanek** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 2:30 pm

Wow! It's really dark!

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060103.html

Almost looks like it was painted. Do you suppose volcanic activity may have caused this; or could the moon be made of dark material?

Orin

BMAONE23 · Post by **BMAONE23** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:05 pm

it resembles polar frosting

S. Bilderback · Post by **S. Bilderback** » Wed Jan 04, 2006 3:07 pm

Most hydrocarbon ice darken do to radiation exposure, but new cratering exposes the lighter colored ice below. So it is either a geologically inactive moon or its not hydrocarbon ice.