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Iapetus


Iapetus is the seventeenth of Saturn's satellites and the third largest. It is one of the stranger moons of Saturn. Its density is similar to that of Rhea, indicating that it has a small allotment of rocky materials. Its leading side is dark with a slight reddish color while its trailing side is bright. The dark surface is composed of matter that was oozed from the moon's interior. The dark material is a thin layer of organic material similar to the complex substances found in the most primitive meteorites.


Orbital Distance:   3,561,000 km (average)
Eccentricity:       0.028
Local Year:         79.330 days (79d 7h 55m 28s)
Orbital Velocity:   3.265 km/s
Inclination:        14.72°
Local Day:          79.330 days (79d 7h 55m 28s)
Axial Tilt:         n/a

Diameter:           1,436 km
Composition:        Mainly ice
Density:            1.21 g/cm3
Mass:               1.88 x 1018 tonnes (0.0003 earths)
Gravity:            0.025 G
Escape Velocity:    0.591 km/s
Area:               6.5 million km2
Surface Material:   Ice & rock
Atmosphere:         None
Pressure:           None
Albedo:             0.20
Temperature:        ???°C

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