Why it matters

Turgis helps move the Saturn branch beyond Mimas and show the diversity of icy moons.

What happenedA large crater on Iapetus, interesting against the moon's strong contrast between bright and dark terrains.
Why it mattersTurgis helps move the Saturn branch beyond Mimas and show the diversity of icy moons.
How scientists knowGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Measurements and uncertainty

Diameter580 km
Depthnot listed
Ageancient large crater
StatusConfirmed
Coordinates16.900° N / 28.400° W
Record levelminimal

Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.

Scientific profile

The profile fixes the scientific baseline: size, position, and the need for a future visual layer based on Cassini data.

Data provenanceGazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library

Reconstruction gallery

More visual readings of the crater

If verified imagery is not enough, the profile receives a scientific reconstruction: not fantasy in place of fact, but a visual hypothesis clearly separated from sources.

World paletteicy turquoise, deep space, and distant moons
Scientific reconstruction: crater on Iapetus's high-contrast terrain.
Current visual previewBase plate: source image, satellite material, or editorial plate where visual reading begins.
Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Visual reconstruction

Reverse reconstruction → Chronological inversion → Bidirectional analysis → The present as an archive of the future

Every profile needs a visualization preview: an existing image, an aesthetically treated source, or a scientific reconstruction.

Reverse reconstructionmoving from the present trace back to the impact event
Chronological inversionreading the object from future state back through earlier layers
Bidirectional analysischecking past-to-present and present-to-past interpretations
The present as an archive of the futuretreating today's profile as evidence for future analysis

Research history

The name was adopted by the IAU in 2008 and refers to a character from the Song of Roland.

Sources

CSVJSONTurgis on Iapetus. Crater.world record. Last reviewed 2026-05-08.
Last reviewed
2026-05-08
Source baseline
Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature; NASA Image and Video Library
Uncertainty note
Seed record: coordinates and diameter support navigation, while geology, age, and visual rights need enrichment.
Gazetteer of Planetary NomenclatureInternational Astronomical Union / USGSNASA Image and Video LibraryNASA

Education mode

Facts

  • Official diameter: about 580 km.
  • Iapetus is famous for its bright-dark surface contrast.
  • The object fits future Cassini-based comparison features.
Glossaryejecta, impact melt, breccia, central peak, erosion
Classroom questionWhich evidence separates an impact crater from a volcanic caldera?
CompareOccator