Iapetus: Modified Moon?

[GRR8]

http://www.enterprisemission.com/moon1.htmIapetus’ most singular characteristic is the fact that, in Cassini’s small, 17th century refracting telescope (it only had an objective lens two inches in diameter!), the faint Saturnian moon (about 100 times dimmer than the faintest object visible to the unaided naked eye) seemed to literally disappear about every 40 days … for half its 79-day orbit!

As Cassini watched, Iapetus would be visible during its so-called “western elongation” (when it was west of Saturn in the sky), but would then progressively get dimmer as it curved around and passed behind the planet, until it completely vanished as it approached “eastern elongation.” Then, a few days later, it would “magically” reappear … as an extremely faint “star” … growing steadily in brightness, until it reached its farthest distance west of Saturn once again and its greatest brightness!

This puzzling behavior would then mysteriously repeat -- like the newly invented mechanical clockwork -- every 79 days; a mysterious “winking” moon … orbiting Saturn … for as long as Cassini observed.

Although he was only capable of observing Iapetus in his small telescope as a “dimensionless point of light,” Cassini correctly theorized that this “winking moon” phenomenon had to be due to the fact that one entire hemisphere of Iapetus must be vastly brighter than the other half – and that the moon was synchronously rotating (with one hemisphere continuously facing Saturn – like Earth’s Moon always faces Earth) as Iapetus revolved around the distant ringed planet in its 79-day orbit (below). If the leading hemisphere of Iapetus was “very dark” Cassini theorized, and the trailing hemisphere “remarkably bright,” this simple geometry would result in the distant moon periodically falling below detectability in his “modest glass …”

Three hundred ten years later – on November 14, 1980 -- the NASA Voyager 1 unmanned spacecraft transmitted, from only a few hundred thousand miles away, the first clear image back to Earth showing that Cassini had been right! Remarkably, the entire “front half” of Iapetus was fully ten times darker than the “back half” – the former reflecting only about as much light as a piece of charcoal … or (as Arthur put it in “2001”) burnt toast!

The geometry of this inexplicable dichotomy also proved unique (below): for obvious reasons, Iapetus forever earned the title that evening, after Voyager’s historic first fully resolved images were sent home, of—

“The Yin/Yang Moon” ….

* * *

… At last, the pale dawn lay ahead; the ship, moving more and more slowly now, was emerging into day. It could no longer escape from the Sun, or even from Saturn – but it was still moving swiftly enough to rise away from the planet until it grazed the orbit of Iapetus, two million miles out.

It would take Discovery fourteen days to make that climb, as she coasted once more, though in reverse order, across the paths of all the inner moons. One by one she would cut through the orbits of Janus, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Hyperion … worlds bearing the names of gods and goddesses who had vanished only yesterday, as time was counted here.

Then she would meet Iapetus, and must make her rendezvous ….

* * *

Voyager acquired many images as it approached Iapetus for the first time. On some of them (below - left), a large (~ 150 mile diameter), dark, ring-shaped feature appeared on the side of the moon facing Saturn. In the center of the ring -- almost exactly as Arthur had described it before anyone could have seen it -- was an “elliptical white region … with a black center!”

Arthur later reported that our mutual friend and colleague, the late Carl Sagan -- who was one of the Voyager imaging team members – some time after the first Iapetus encounter, sent him one of these remarkable photos (above) … along with a note:

“Thinking of you ….”

In these first fascinating images, tangent to this giant ring (above) – in fact, appearing to emanate from it in some kind of “directed spray pattern!” -- was the far larger, extremely dark, elliptical feature which appeared to cover the entire “front” of this exotic moon. This was strikingly confirmed by a somewhat closer shot, taken in approximate natural color by the follow-on Voyager 2 spacecraft (and, of the opposite side of the moon -- the one facing away from Saturn) … in August, 1981 (below).

[Snow]

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.

"It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats--the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill--The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it--and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.

"This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is the story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected. He may have lost the neighbours' respect, but he gained--well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end."

[GRR8]

This was just rediculous long. Please see GRR8's original posting.

Setheus was here X

[Snow]

GRR8,

That material is copyrighted. I think you have exceeded any fair use amount.

Please use a link for any future posts of the material. Besides, anyone who might be interested can read about it from the first time you posted it.

The Moderator.

[GRR8]

Originally posted by Snow@Jan 3 2006, 12:58 AM

GRR8,

That material is copyrighted. I think you have exceeded any fair use amount.

Please use a link for any future posts of the material. Besides, anyone who might be interested can read about it from the first time you posted it.

The Moderator.

←

Go talk to my friend Richard C. Hoagland then. Hes the one that constructed it all, images, words,maps,and scientific data. He doesnt mind it, but apparently you do. Im going to post all the series on here. And the link is at the beginning of the post.

[BenRaines]

I think posts like this are not in line with the rules of the site and will insist that they cease to be posted. You can post a link if someone wants to go and read it but do not post it page by page here. If you continue to do so your ability to post here will be discontinued.

Moderator

[Guest ToasterOfen]

Originally posted by GRR8@Jan 2 2006, 11:04 PM

Go talk to my friend Richard C. Hoagland then. Hes the one that constructed it all, images, words,maps,and scientific data. He doesnt mind it, but apparently you do. Im going to post all the series on here. And the link is at the beginning of the post.

←

Regardless if you "think" you can post it because you have "permission", doesn't mean you should just because you can. I came to read the thread, and had to sift through pages of...junk. If I wanted to read it, I would have clicked on the link. Putting pages and pages of copyrighted material on here is just wasting space. The mods are right...it doesn't belong here.

[Snow]

Proof that the moon is being used as an interstellar transport refueling station, bar and grill:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4570730.stm

[Outshined]

Originally posted by ToasterOfen@Jan 3 2006, 10:41 AM

Regardless if you "think" you can post it because you have "permission", doesn't mean you should just because you can.  I came to read the thread, and had to sift through pages of...junk.  If I wanted to read it, I would have clicked on the link.  Putting pages and pages of copyrighted material on here is just wasting space.  The mods are right...it doesn't belong here.

←

Agreed.

[GRR8]

Proof that the moon is being used as an interstellar transport refueling station, bar and grill:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4570730.stm

←

Hey, the articles by Richard show proof. Your belief in Joseph Smith and his so called holy temples are nothing that Masonry hasnt already established long before the appearance of Joseph Smith Jr.

[Setheus]

Proof that the moon is being used as an interstellar transport refueling station, bar and grill:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4570730.stm

←

Hey, the articles by Richard show proof. Your belief in Joseph Smith and his so called holy temples are nothing that Masonry hasnt already established long before the appearance of Joseph Smith Jr.

←

Suprised you dont pick on us for believing in a Jesus Christ...after all other religions had him first.....

[GRR8]

Just when people think they have it all figured out,,something else comes along and disestablishes all notions of God, be if from Joseph Smith, Martin Luther, John Weysleyan, and all others who seek out what cannot be found now. Id like to believe in a Saviour of some sort, but I read things that claim the New testament was historically inaccurate and falsified, and that Jesus never claimed to come to save from sin, but to free the Jews from the Roman occupations. We really cannot be objective in how to deal with a higher power can we? We only have notions and heresay to go by. Id find it quite nice if Jesus would come down once in a while every so often and visit randomly with folks all over the planet, from the Jungles to the cities of steel and glass, to the semi remote four corners of the planet and say,,,"I havent forgotton you' all those words that your progenitors wrote about me and what I did were somewhat true, and here is what was true. And here is what was false. So that there could be no doubt, no question as to the authenticity of him or his intentions. so far, I havent seen anything definitive of just who jesus the devine as they claim him to be, really was and what he REALLY TAUGHT. How can anyone put their faith in a human who errs, because thats what your doing if you believe every word in the torah, the old jewish scriptures and the newer Jesus stories. It seems so fruitless and pointless to follow teachings if you cannot be certain they are from an actual divine higher power.

[shanstress70]

Interesting thoughts, GRR8. You make some really good points, but who wants to believe that there is nothing after this? It's just depressing as hell. If it's possible for some to hang on to their faith, then perhaps that is the healthiest thing for them (and me!). Regardless of what someone's faith is based on, I think it can be a healthy thing.

[GRR8]

Here is what would be so good. Jesus comes and appears and takes over the planet and says, hey, this is how it is: Etc Etc Etc, this is what is what I taught to my diciples in the middle east,,etc,,etc,,etc, this is what happened to them..etc...etc..etc. I actually had a meeting with so and so...etc etc.. etc. I talked with the Indians, etc,,etc,,,etc,,,, these priesthoods or priesthood is of me,,etc,,etc,,,,, and these churches represent me,,etc,,,etc,,,etc. I never intended anyone who was of a particular color or race to be excluded from everything I teach/taught. This is how it is after you die,,,,etc,,,etc,,etc. The planets and moons of this solar system had so and so inhabiting them,,,etc,,etc,,etc. Heres how to reconcile faith and science,,etc,,etc,,etc.

[BenRaines]

Oh then where would the faith be? If we could all see and witness Christ in person as if one man talking to another there would be no requirement of faith and all would believe.

Oh wait he did come to earth and performed mighty miracles and there were few who believed.

Guess that won't work either.

[GRR8]

I couldnt tell you Ben. Ive never met Jesus in person. theres been billions of others who also havent met him. If he is real, and truly divine, it sure would help if he could use his technology,,,(he knows everything tech wise and physics wise) doesnt he? and just put an end to the doubt that alot of folks have. How are people to choose anything by word of mouth? by heresay? Do you understand my point of view here? As far as I know, I dont know any particular creed or religion which truly represents him and what he wants from humanity for that matter.

[BenRaines]

I understand the point. As said earlier it appears that a personal appearance did not do any good to convert all in the old world or in the Americas, as the Mormons claim, since they both eventually rejected him. In the old world those he came to were the cause of his death if we believe the recorded writings from that time.

I for one am willing to believe the witness of many or a few. As long as it wasn't a bunch of drunks that saw a green alien after leaving the bar at 3 am.

[BenRaines]

In our judicial system a person can be convicted or set free based on the witness of a few. I am not sure why people can not be convinced based on the witness of many that Jesus did what he did and others that followed after him have done what is said they did.

All members of a jury do not have to be at the scene of the crime to convict or aquit.

[Jason]

Originally posted by BenRaines@Jan 4 2006, 03:33 PM

I for one am willing to believe the witness of many or a few.  As long as it wasn't a bunch of drunks that saw a green alien after leaving the bar at 3 am.

←

So now you know why I reject the tale of Smith & Co. seeing Jesus at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple! Too much wine in them to know for sure, eh?

[GRR8]

I see this topic is taking a meander like most topics do. Thanks for the input Ben. Im very sorry to have read those Missionaries were shot to death. I know they are not the first, nor will they be the last. Nevertheless believe it or not Im saddened by this. As you may have surmised, I was a convert in 1980. I was in a car wreck hit by a drunken driver, along with my brother and two other members. One wouldnt believe any of us got out of that one alive, but we all did. Makes me wonder what is going on. some die young, some do not, the mean nasty bastards some of them live to ripe old age and cheat everyone and make peoples lives difficult. I dunno. Im confused, and get angst comtemplating it all. I want to believe in what the message of the Lord is, but things ive experienced and the like make me have doubts. Perhaps I shouldnt worry about it at all. Im back to space related ancient artifacts in our solar system. I apologize to all if I offended anyone as I post. Ill try to hold back the angst and present a modicum of fair play and decency as I know the standards many of the believers have. I was one at one time. Thank you. GRR8