Desdemona (moon)

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Desdemona
Discovery
Discovered by: Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date: January 13, 1986
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius of orbit: 62,658.364 ± 0.047 km[1]
Eccentricity: 0.00013 ± 0.000070[1]
Orbital period: 0.473649597 ± 0.000000014 d[1]
Inclination: 0.11252 ± 0.037° (to Uranus' equator)[1]
Satellite of: Uranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions: 90 × 54 × 54 km[2]
Mean radius: 34 ± 4 km[2]
Surface area: ~14,500 km²[3]
Volume: ~164,000 km³[3]
Mass: ~2.3×1017 kg[3]
Mean density: ~1.3 g/cm³ assumed
Equatorial surface gravity: ~0.011 m/s2[3]
Escape velocity: ~0.027 km/s[3]
Rotation period: synchronous[2]
Axial tilt: zero[2]
Albedo: 0.08 ± 0.01[4]
Temperature: ~64 K[3]
Discovery image of Desdemona
Discovery image of Desdemona

Desdemona is a closer moon to Uranus. It was found from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 1986-01-13, and was given the designation S/1986 U 6.[5] Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.[6]

Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of moons, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[4] These moons have similar orbits and photometric properties.[4] Unfortunately, other than its orbit,[1] radius of 34 km[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08[4] almost nothing is known about it.

At the Voyager 2 images Desdemona appears as a stretched object, the major axis pointing towards Uranus. The ratio of axises of the Desdemona's prolate spheroid is 0.6 ± 0.3.[2] Its surface is grey in color.[2]

[change] References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Jacobson, R.A. (1998). "The Orbits of the Inner Uranian Satellites From Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager2 Observations". The Astronomical Journal 115: 1195-1199. DOI:10.1086/300263.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Voyager's Eleventh Discovery of a Satellite of Uranus and Photometry and the First Size Measurements of Nine Satellites". Icarus 151: 69–77. DOI:10.1006/icar.2001.6597.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Calculated on the basis of other parameters
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope". Icarus 151: 51–68. DOI:10.1006/icar.2001.6596.
  5. ↑ Smith, B. A. (January 16 1986). IAU Circular No. 4164. Retrieved on 6 August 2006.
  6. ↑ Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology (July 21 2006). Retrieved on 6 August 2006.

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v • d • e
Uranus
Moons Ariel ·Belinda ·Bianca ·Caliban ·Cordelia ·Cressida ·Cupid ·Desdemona ·Ferdinand ·Francisco ·Juliet ·Mab ·Margaret ·Miranda ·Oberon ·Ophelia ·Perdita ·Portia ·Prospero ·Puck ·Rosalind ·Setebos ·Stephano ·Sycorax ·Titania ·Trinculo ·Umbriel
Other: Arieal features ·Miranda features ·Oberon features ·Titania features ·Puck Craters ·Umbriel craters · Miranda's Verona Rupes ·Umbriel Crater Wunda
Characteristics Atmosphere ·Rings of Uranus
Discovery William Herschel ·William Lassell
Exploration Voyager program ·Voyager 2
Other 15 Orionis ·Uranus-crosser asteroid ·In fiction
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