The Equatorial Ridge on Saturn's Moon Iapetus (IMAGE)

Washington University in St. Louis

The Equatorial Ridge on Saturn's Moon Iapetus

Caption

A ridge that follows the equator of Saturn's moon Iapetus gives it the appearance of a giant walnut. The ridge, photographed in 2004 by the Cassini spacecraft, is 100 kilometers (62 miles) wide and at times 20 kilometers (12 miles) high. (The peak of Mount Everest, by comparison, is 5.5 miles above sea level.) Scientists are debating how the ridge might have formed.

Credit

NASA/JPL/SSI

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