Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 9, 2009 is “Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Cassini Imaging Team , SSI , JPL , ESA , NASA. The original explanation runs about 224 words.

Saturn's Iapetus: Painted Moon
Credit: Cassini Imaging Team , SSI , JPL , ESA , NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What has happened to Saturn’s moon Iapetus? Vast sections of this strange world are dark as coal , while others are as bright as ice.”

— APOD editors, August 9, 2009

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
August 9, 2009
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Cassini Imaging Team , SSI , JPL , ESA , NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 224 words

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Topics in this entry

The MoonSaturn

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.