How Saturn's moon Iapetus got its ridge
Monday, December 13, 2010 - 10:30
in Astronomy & Space
Two scientists propose an explanation for the bizarre ridge belting Saturn's moon Iapetus at the equator. At one time Iapetus itself may have had a satellite, created by a giant impact with another body. The satellite's orbit, would have decayed because of tidal interactions with Iapetus, and at some point it would have been ripped apart, forming a ring of debris around Iapetus that would eventually slam into the moon near its equator.