NASA recently released this Cassini spacecraft image of Saturn’s moon Iapetus. The image, actually taken last August, shows Iapetus looking strikingly similar to the Chinese taiji symbol, what many called the yin-yang symbol. This symbol represents nature’s duality: up and down, black and white, hot and cold.
And, in fact, there are yin and yang aspects to Saturn’s moon. It’s sometimes called a two-faced moon because one side appears dark (yin), and the other side is light (yang). Read more: Hal Levison on Saturn’s weird moon Iapetus
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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