by Paul Gilster | Jan 1, 2005 | Outer Solar System
For the weekend, here is a first look at Iapetus from yesterday’s Cassini flyby. JPL describes this as a raw image that “…has not been validated or calibrated.”
This image was taken on December 31, 2004 and received on Earth January 01, 2005. The camera was pointing toward IAPETUS at approximately 60,821 kilometers away, and the image was taken using the CL1 and CL2 filters. Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
You can find more Iapetus images in the Cassini raw image beta page.
In Centauri Dreams, Paul Gilster looks at peer-reviewed research on deep space exploration, with an eye toward interstellar possibilities. For many years this site coordinated its efforts with the Tau Zero Foundation. It now serves as an independent forum for deep space news and ideas. In the logo above, the leftmost star is Alpha Centauri, a triple system closer than any other star, and a primary target for early interstellar probes. To its right is Beta Centauri (not a part of the Alpha Centauri system), with Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon Crucis, stars in the Southern Cross, visible at the far right (image courtesy of Marco Lorenzi).
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