Color Maps of Iapetus (2014)

This global color mosaic of Saturn's moon Iapetus was produced from images taken by NASA's Cassini spacecraft during its first 10 years exploring the Saturn system. These are the first global color maps of these moons produced from the Cassini data.

The colors shown in these global mosaics are enhanced, or broader, relative to human vision, extending into the ultraviolet and infrared range.

Resolution on Iapetus in the maps is 400 meters per pixel.

Image selection, radiometric calibration, geographic registration and photometric correction, as well as mosaic selection and assembly were performed by Paul Schenk at the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Original image planning and targeting for Saturn's icy moons were performed by Tilman Denk (Frei Universitat, Berlin) and Paul Helfenstein (Cornell University, Ithaca, New York).

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute/Lunar and Planetary Institute