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Giovanni Cassini discovers Iapetus, satellite of Saturn

Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons. With an estimated diameter of 1,469 km (913 mi), it is the third-largest moon of Saturn and the eleventh-largest in the Solar System.

Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons. With an estimated diameter of 1,469 km (913 mi), it is the third-largest moon of Saturn and the eleventh-largest in the Solar System. Named after the Titan Iapetus from Greek mythology, the moon was discovered in 1671 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini.

A relatively low-density body composed mostly of ice, Iapetus is home to several distinctive and unusual features, such as a striking difference in coloration between its dark leading hemisphere and its bright trailing hemisphere, as well as a massive equatorial ridge that runs three-quarters of the way around the moon.

Historical Significance

Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Sinhagad, Shivaji commander Tanaji Malusare recaptures fort of Sinhagad from the Mugals, scaling the walls wit

    Battle of Sinhagad, Shivaji commander Tanaji Malusare recaptures fort of Sinhagad from the Mugals, scaling the walls with help of pet monitor lizard

  2. France and Bavaria sign military assistance treaty

    The Treaty of Dover, also known as the Secret Treaty of Dover, was an agreement between Louis XIV of France and Charles II of England signed at Dover on 1 June 1670.

  3. Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I orders all Jews expelled from Austria, given until August to comply

    Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I orders all Jews expelled from Austria, given until August to comply

  4. Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I orders expulsion of Jews from Vienna

    Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I orders expulsion of Jews from Vienna

  5. Clemens X [Emilio Bonaventura Altieri] elected Pope

    Pope Clement X (Latin: Clemens X; Italian: Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670...

Events After

  1. Isaac Newton reads his first optics paper before the Royal Society in London

    Sir Isaac Newton (4 January [O.S. 25 December] 1643 – 31 March [O.S. 20 March] 1727) was an English polymath who was a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, author and...

  2. Joan Blaeu's publishing house is destroyed by fire in Amsterdam

    Joan Blaeu's publishing house is destroyed by fire in Amsterdam

  3. France declares war on Netherlands

    The Netherlands, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with overseas territories in the Caribbean.

  4. John Maitland, administrator of Scotland for Charles II, made the Duke of Lauderdale and Earl of March

    John Maitland, administrator of Scotland for Charles II, made the Duke of Lauderdale and Earl of March

  5. Brandenburg monarch Frederik Willem signs treaty with Netherlands

    Brandenburg monarch Frederik Willem signs treaty with Netherlands

More from the 1670s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 25, 1671?
Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons. With an estimated diameter of 1,469 km (913 mi), it is the third-largest moon of Saturn and the eleventh-largest in the Solar System. Named after the Titan Iapetus from Greek mythology, the moon was discovered in 1671 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini.
Why is Giovanni Cassini discovers Iapetus, satellite of Saturn significant?
Iapetus () is the outermost of Saturn's large moons.

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