Perdita (moon)

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Perdita
Discovery
Discovered byErich Karkoschka / Voyager 2
Discovery dateMay 18, 1999 (in images dating back to January 18, 1986)
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius
76,417 ± 1 km[1]
Eccentricity0.0012 ± 0.0005[1]
0.638021 ± 0.000013 d[1]
Inclination0.0 ± 0.3° (to Uranus' equator)[1]
Satellite ofUranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions30 × 30 × 30 km[1]
Mean radius
15 ± 3 km[1]
~2,800 km²[2]
Volume~14,000 km³[2]
Mass~0.18×1017 kg[2]
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm³ assumed
~0.0047 m/s2[2]
~0.011 km/s[2]
synchronous[1]
zero[1]
Albedo0.08 ± 0.01[3]
Temperature~64 K[2]

Perdita is a closer moon to Uranus. Perdita's discovery was not simple. The first pictures of Perdita were taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, but it was not seen on the photographs for more than ten years. In 1999, the moon was noticed and reported.[1][4]

Because no further pictures could be taken to confirm its existence, in 2001 it was thought to be non-existent.[5] However, in 2003, pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope managed to pick up an object where Perdita was supposed to be. This proved its existence at last.[6][7]

After its discovery in 1999, Perdita was labelled S/1986 U 10.[4] she was the daughter of Leontes and Hermione in William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale. The moon is also called Uranus XXV.[8]

Perdita belongs to Portia Group of moons, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Portia, Juliet, Cupid, Rosalind and Belinda.[3] These moons have similar orbits and photometric properties.[3] Unfortunately, other than its orbit,[1][6] radius of 15 km,[1] and geometric albedo of 0.08,[3] almost nothing is known about it.

References[change | change source]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Voyager's eleventh discovery of a satellite of Uranus and photometry and the first size measurements of nine satellites". Icarus. 151 (1): 69–77. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...69K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6597.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Calculated on the basis of other parameters
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope". Icarus. 151 (1): 51–68. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...51K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6596.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Karkoschka, Erich (May 18, 1999). "IAU Circular No. 7171". Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  5. Foust, Jeff (2001). "Moon of Uranus is demoted". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Showalter, Mark R.; Lissauer, Jack J. (December 22, 2005). "The Second Ring-Moon System of Uranus: discovery and dynamics". Science Express. 311 (5763): 973–977. doi:10.1126/science.1122882. PMID 16373533. S2CID 13240973.
  7. Showalter M. R. & Lissauer J.J. (September 3, 2003). "IAU Circular No. 8194". Retrieved 2006-08-05.
  8. "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-05.

Other websites[change | change source]