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Voyager Feature-fixed Photometry of IapetusIapetus is one of the most mysterious objects in the Solar System. As indicated by previous ground-based studies and dramatically confirmed by the Voyager images, the surface of this satellite has a strikingly bimodal distribution of albedo and color. While the underlying object seems to be a largely icy satellite similar to Rhea, the leading hemisphere of Iapetus is dominated by a very dark patch of hemispheric scale. The symmetry of this dark material with respect to the orbital motion of the satellite strongly suggests an external control, if not necessarily an external origin, for the dark material. Quantitative photometric techniques are used to map the photometric function of the surface of the material over Iapetus. The approach is to study clearly defined surface areas that appear on a number of Voyager images obtained under different spacecraft and lighting geometries.
Document ID
19840015372
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Other
Authors
Goguen, J.
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, HI, United States)
Morrison, D.
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, HI, United States)
Tripicco, M.
(Hawaii Univ. Honolulu, HI, United States)
Date Acquired
August 12, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1984
Publication Information
Publication: NASA. Washington Repts. of Planetary Geol. Program
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
84N23440
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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