New attempts to crack Saturn's 'walnut' moon
The mysterious equatorial ridge on Saturn's moon Iapetus is either a fossil ring system that fell to the surface, or a pile up of crustal rocks formed as the satellite changed its shape. These are the latest theories from planetary scientists.
The ridge, revealed by the Cassini probe, is unlike anything else in the solar system. It is up to 20 kilometres high and stretches 1300 km along the moon's equator, resembling the ridge on a walnut.
Despite its sheer "fringiness," I have to confess to a certain affinity for Richard Hoagland's idea that the ridge is an artificial construction.
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Despite its sheer "fringiness," I have to confess to a certain affinity for Richard Hoagland's idea that the ridge is an artificial construction.
Honestly, I thought the two "conventional" scientific explanations actually sounded hokier than Hoagland. I'll even stick with my own twist on his idea that it's artificial and speculate that it was built as a gigantic electromagnetic spacecraft launcher.