Professor. Dick Butler, formerly of Dept of Chemistry, NUIG.
"Iapetus & the Black Stuff: Strange Moons of Saturn & Secrets of the Early Solar System"
Iapetus is the third-largest moon of Saturn, and eleventh in the solar system, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671 and is named after the Titan Iapetus from Greek mythology. It is also designated Saturn VIII. Iapetus is best known for its dramatic 'two-tone' coloration, but recent discoveries by the Cassini mission have revealed several other unusual physical characteristics. The dark material is believed to have come from outside Iapetus, but now it consists principally of lag from the sublimation of ice from the warmer areas of Iapetus's surface. It contains organic compounds similar to the substances found in primitive meteorites or on the surfaces of comets. On September 10, 2007, the Cassini orbiter passed within 1,640 kilometres (1,000 miles) of Iapetus NASA scientists now believe that the dark material may be lag (residue) from the sublimation (evaporation) of water ice on the surface of Iapetus, possibly darkened further upon exposure to sunlight. Because of its slow rotation of 79 days (equal to its revolution and the longest in the Saturnian system), Iapetus likely had the warmest daytime surface temperature and coldest night time temperature in the Saturnian system.
Professor R.N Butler was Director of the Chemistry Department at NUI Galway. As well as teaching and administrative work, he carried out research in organic synthesis and mechanisms particularly with nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur and selenium systems. Originally from Cork, he received his B.Sc. from UCC in 1964 and his Ph.D. and D.Sc. from NUI Galway. In 1971 he became professor and lecturer in Galway at the Chemistry Dept. He has had over 200 papers published in refereed international journals & has previously been awarded the Boyle Higgins Gold medal from the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland in recognition of his outstanding work. He is a well-known speaker around Galway and has enlightened us on many occasions with his wonderful talks
Ronan Newman
Galway Astronomy Frstival 2009
galwayastronomyclub.blogspot.com/2008/09...y-festival-2009.html
  