 Iapetus's equatorial ridge up close as imaged by Cassini | |
| Feature type | Mountains |
|---|---|
| Location | Iapetus |
| Coordinates | 0°N 0°W / 0°N -0°E |
| Length | 1,300 km (810 mi) |
| Peak | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Discoverer | Cassini |
The equatorial ridge is the tallest mountain feature on Saturn's moon Iapetus. It is 20 km (12 mi) high, and is the third tallest mountain structure in the Solar System. It runs along most of Iapetus' equator. It was discovered by the Cassini probe in 2004. The ridge's origin is unknown. There are bright areas on the sides of the equatorial ridge near Iapetus' bright trailing hemisphere, which were already visible in Voyager 2 images appearing like mountains and were nicknamed the "Voyager Mountains".[1]