Desdemona (moon)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Desdemona
Discovery
Discovered by Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date January 13, 1986
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius 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]
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]

References[change]

Other websites[change]