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Uranus moons menu

1. Cordelia
2. Ophelia
3. Bianca
4. Cressida
5. Desdemona
6. Julieta
7. Portia
8. Rosalind
9. Cupid
10. Belinda
11. Perdita
12. Puck
13. Mab
14. Miranda
15. Ariel
16. Umbriel
17. Titania
18. Oberon
19. Francisco
20. Caliban
21. Stephano
22. Trinculo
23. Sycorax
24. Margaret
25. Prospero
26. Setebos
27. Ferdinand
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sdf 1 Cordelia  

Cordelia was named after the daughter of King Lear in Shakespeare's play King Lear. Cordelia is one of the smaller moons in the Solar System and is the innermost known moon of Uranus. It has a diameter of 15 kilometers (9 miles) and is 49,750 kilometers (30,910 miles) from the center of Uranus. Cordelia acts as the inner shepherd satellite* for Uranus' epsilon ring.

 

Discovered By R. Terrile, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 49,752 km
Equatorial Radius 13 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.3350338
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00026
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.08 º

* Shepherd satellite a moon that constrains the extent of a planetary ring through its gravitational influence.

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  2 Ophelia  

Ophelia was named after the daughter of Polonius in Shakespeare's play Hamlet. Ophelia is one of the smaller moons in the Solar System and is the second innermost known moon of Uranus. It has a diameter of 16 kilometers and is 53,760 kilometers from the center of Uranus. Cordelia acts as the outer shepherd satellite for Uranus' epsilon ring.

 

Discovered By R. Terrile, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 53,763 km
Equatorial Radius 15 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.3764
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0099
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.10 º
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Bianca 3 Bianca  

Bianca was named after the sister of Katherine in Shakespeare's play The Taming of the Shrew. It is the third known satellite of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 59,166 km
Equatorial Radius 21 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.43457899
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0009
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.19 º
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Cressida 4 Cressida  

Cressida was named after the daughter of Calchas in Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida. It is the forth satellite out from Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 61,767 km
Equatorial Radius 33 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.46357
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00023
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.04 º
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Desdemona 5 Desdemona  

Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in Shakespeare's play Othello. It is the fifth known satellite of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 62,658 km
Equatorial Radius 27 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.4736496
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0001
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.11 º
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Juliet 6 Juliet  

Juliet was named after the tragic heroine in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is the sixth known satellite of Uranus, and it was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 64,358 km
Equatorial Radius 42 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.49306549
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00066
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.07 º
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Portia 7 Portia  

Portia was named after a rich heiress in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice. It is the seventh known satellite of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 66,097 km
Equatorial Radius 54 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.51319592
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0001
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.06 º
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Rosalind 8 Rosalind  

Rosalind was named after the daughter of the banished Duke in Shakespeare's play As You Like It. It is the eighth known satellite of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 69,927 km
Equatorial Radius 27 km
Mass 8 x 1017 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.55845953
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0001
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.28 º
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  9 Cupid  

Cupid, was named after a character in Shakespeare’s play "Timon of Athens", is the ninth Uranus moon; along with Mab are both Uranus satellites discovered more recently, in 2003.

 

Discovered By Mark Showalter
Date of Discovery 2003
Average Distance from Uranus 74,800 km
Equatorial Radius 5 km
Mass ~3.8 x 1015 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.618
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0013
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.1 º
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Belinda 10 Belinda  

Belinda was named after the heroine in Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock. It is the tenth satellite out from Uranus and was discovered from the Voyager 2 photographs.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 75,256 km
Equatorial Radius 33 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.62352747
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00007
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.03 º
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  11 Perdita  

Perdita was named alter the daughter of Leontes and Hermione in Shakespeare’s play “The winter’s tale”. It is the 11th moon of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By Erich Karkoschka
Date of Discovery 1999
Average Distance from Uranus 76,420 km
Equatorial Radius 10 km
Mass ~1.3 x 1016 kg.
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.638
Orbital Eccentricity 0.003
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.07 º
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Puck 12 Puck  

Puck was named after a mischievous fairy in Shakespeare's play “A Midsummer Night's Dream”. It is the twelfth known satellite of Uranus and was discovered by Voyager 2.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 86,004 km
Equatorial Radius 77 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.76183287
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00012
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.32 º
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  13 MAB  

Mab was named after Queen Mab, a fairy queen from English folklore who is mentioned in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It is the 13th moon of Uranus and along with Cupid are both Uranus satellites discovered more recently, in 2003.

 

Discovered By S. Synnott, Voyager 2
Date of Discovery 1986
Average Distance from Uranus 86,004 km
Equatorial Radius 77 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 0.76183287
Orbital Eccentricity 0.00012
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.32 º
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Miranda 14 Miranda  

Miranda was named after the daughter of the magician Prospero in Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

Miranda is a small satellite with a diameter of 470 kilometers (290 miles). Its surface is unlike anything in the solar system with features that are jumbled together in a haphazard fashion. Miranda consists of huge fault canyons as deep as 20 kilometers (12 miles), terraced layers and a mixture of old and young surfaces. The younger regions might have been produced by incomplete differentiation of the moon, a process in which upwelling of lighter material surfaced in limited areas. Alternatively, scientists believe that Miranda may have been shattered as many as five times during its evolution. After each shattering the moon would have reassembled from the remains of its former self with portions of the core exposed and portions of the surface buried. Miranda's appearance can be explained by theories, but the real reason is still unknown.

Given Miranda's small size and low temperature (-187° C or -335° F), the degree and diversity of the tectonic activity on this moon has surprised scientists. It is believed that an additional heat source such as tidal heating caused by the gravitational tug of Uranus must have been involved. In addition, some means must have mobilized the flow of icy material at low temperatures.

 

Discovered By G. Kuiper
Date of Discovery 1948
Average Distance from Uranus 129,872 km
Equatorial Radius 240.4 x 234.2 x 232.9 km
Mass 66,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Rotation Period Igual al periodo orbital
Orbit Period (Earth days) 1.41347925
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0027
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 4.2 º
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Ariel 15 Ariel  

Ariel, nombre del jefe de las sílfides que asisten a Belinda en "El rizo robado" de Alexander Pope, es la décimo sexta luna de Urano y Ariel is named after the leading sylph in Alexander Pope's poem Rape of the Lock. It is also the name of the spirit who serves Prospero in Shakespeare's Tempest.

Ariel was discovered on 24 October 1851 by William Lassell. It was discovered at the same time as Umbriel.

Ariel is a relatively small satellite and is the brightest moon of Uranus. The surface is pock-marked with craters, but the most outstanding features are long rift valleys stretching across the entire surface. Canyons much like the ones on Mars appear in the pictures. The canyon floors appear as though they have been smoothed by a fluid. The fluid could not have been water because water acts like steel at these temperatures. The flow marks might have been made by ammonia, methane or even carbon monoxide.

Ariel's composition is roughly 70% ices (water ice, carbon dioxide ice, and possibly methane ices) and 30% silicate rock, and it appears to have regions of fresh frost in places, particularly in the ejecta radiating from young impact craters.

 

Discovered By W. Lassell
Date of Discovery 1851
Average Distance from Uranus 190,945 km
Equatorial Radius 581.1 x 577.9 x 577.7 km
Mass 1,350,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Rotation Period Igual al periodo orbital
Orbit Period (Earth days) 2.52037935
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0034
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.3 º
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Umbriel 16 Umbriel  

Umbriel is the 'dusky melancholy sprite' in Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, and the name suggests the Latin umbra, shadow. The adjectival form of the name is Umbrielian.

Umbriel is the darkest satellite of Uranus. It is about the same size as Ariel and has about the same density. The surface appears to be old with large craters and does not change much from one location to another. Near the top is a puzzling bright ring called the fluorescent cheerio. It is probably the floor of a crater.

Umbriel's most prominent feature is Wunda, a large ring of bright material near Umbriel's equator (see picture; the viewpoint is nearly polar). Wunda is presumably some kind of crater, but its exact nature is mysterious. Nearby, seen along the terminator, is the crater Skynd, which lacks a bright rim but possesses a bright central peak.

 

Discovered By W. Lassell
Date of Discovery 1851
Average Distance from Uranus 265,998 km
Equatorial Radius 584.7 km
Mass 1,170,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Rotation Period Igual al periodo orbital
Orbit Period (Earth days) 4.1441772
Orbital Eccentricity 0.005
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.36 º
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Titania 17 Titania  

Titania was named after Titania, the Queen of the Faeries in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Titania is the largest moon of Uranus. It is marked by a few large impact basins, but is generally covered with small craters and very rough rocks. The image beside shows a 1,600 kilometer (1,000 mile) long trench. A large double walled crater can be seen towards the top of the image. There are many faults on Titania indicating there has been internal forces molding its surface.

So far the only close-up images of Titania are from the Voyager 2 probe, which photographed the moon during its Uranus flyby in January, 1986. At the time of the flyby the southern hemisphere of the moon was pointed towards the Sun so only it was studied.

Although its interior composition is uncertain, one model suggests that Titania is composed of roughly 50% water ice, 30% silicate rock, and 20% methane-related organic compounds. A major surface feature is a huge canyon that dwarfs the scale of the Grand Canyon on Earth and is in the same class as the Valles Marineris on Mars or Ithaca Chasma on Saturn's moon Tethys.

 

Discovered By W. Herschel
Date of Discovery 1787
Average Distance from Uranus 436,298 km
Equatorial Radius 788.9 km
Mass 3,530,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Rotation Period Igual al periodo orbital
Orbit Period (Earth days) 8.7058717
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0022
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.14 º
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Oberon

Photos: JPL-NASA

18 Oberon  

Oberon was named after Oberon, the King of the Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream.

It is the outermost of the major moons of the planet Uranus. With a mean radius of about 760 km, Oberon is the second largest moon of Uranus.

Oberon is a moon of Uranus that is characterized by an old, heavily cratered, and icy surface. The surface shows little evidence of internal activity other than some unknown dark material that apparently covers the floors of many craters. The image beside shows several large impact craters towards the center of the image. On the limb, a high mountain rises 6 kilometers (4 miles) above its surroundings. There are bright rays similar to those seen on Jupiter's moon Callisto.

Although its interior make-up is uncertain, one model suggests that Oberon is composed of roughly 50% water ice, 30% silicate rock, and 20% methane-related carbon/nitrogen compounds. It has an old, heavily cratered, and icy surface which shows little evidence of internal activity other than some unknown dark material that apparently covers the floors of many craters. However, some large faults can be seen across the southern hemisphere, which indicates some internal activity early in its life.

 

Discovered By W. Herschel
Date of Discovery 1787
Average Distance from Uranus 583,519 km
Equatorial Radius 761.4 km
Mass 3,010,000,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Rotation Period Igual al periodo orbital
Orbit Period (Earth days) 13.4632389
Orbital Eccentricity 0.0008
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 0.10 º
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  19 Francisco  

Francisco is the innermost irregular satellite of Uranus.
Francisco was discovered by Matthew J. Holman, et al. and Brett J. Gladman, et al. in 2003 from pictures taken in 2001 and given the provisional designation S/2001 U 3. Confirmed as Uranus XXII, it was named after a lord in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By Matthew J. Holman y Brett J. Gladman
Date of Discovery 2001 - 2003
Average Distance from Uranus 4,276,000 km
Equatorial Radius 11 km
Mass 1.3 x 1015 kg.
Orbit Period (Earth days) 266.6
Orbital Eccentricity 0.146
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 145.2 º
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  20 Caliban  

Caliban is the second largest retrograde irregular moon of Uranus.
Caliban was discovered on 1997-09-06 by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J. Kavelaars using the 200-inch Hale telescope together with Sycorax and given the temporary designation S/1997 U 1.[3]
Designated Uranus XVI it was named after the monster character in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest..
The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong, together with Stephano to the same dynamic cluster, suggesting common origin.

 

Discovered By B.J. Gladman, P.D. Nicholson, J.A. Burns, J.J. Kavelaars
Date of Discovery 1997
Average Distance from Uranus 7,169,000 km
Equatorial Radius ~40 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 579.379
Orbital Eccentricity 0.082
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 139.2 º

 

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  21 Stephano  

Stephano (S/1999 U2) is named after the ship's butler in Shakespeare's play The Tempest. It is the number twenty one known satellite of Uranus. Very little is known about Stephano.

 

Discovered By B.J. Gladman, P.D. Nicholson, J.A. Burns, J.J. Kavelaars
Date of Discovery 1999
Average Distance from Uranus 7,979,000 km
Equatorial Radius 16 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 677.4
Orbital Eccentricity 0.229
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 144.1 º
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  22 Trinculo  

Trinculo is a retrograde irregular satellite of Uranus. It was discovered by Holman, et al. on 2001-08-13, and given the temporary designation S/2001 U 1.[2][3]
Confirmed as Uranus XXI, it was named after the drunken jester Trinculo in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By Holman
Date of Discovery 2001
Average Distance from Uranus 8,504,000 km
Equatorial Radius 9 km
Mass 7.5 x 1014 kg.
Orbit Period (Earth days) 759
Orbital Eccentricity 0.22
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 167.1 º
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  23 Sycorax  

Sycorax is the largest retrograde irregular satellite of Uranus. Sycorax was discovered on 1997-09-06 by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J. Kavelaars using the 200-inch Hale telescope, together with Caliban and given the temporary designation S/1997 U 2.[2]
Officially confirmed as Uranus XVII, it was named after Caliban's mother in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By B.J. Gladman, P.D. Nicholson, J.A. Burns, J.J. Kavelaars
Date of Discovery 1997
Average Distance from Uranus 12,213,000 km
Equatorial Radius ~80 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 1284
Orbital Eccentricity 0.509
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 152.7 º
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  24 Margaret  

Margaret is a the only prograde irregular satellite of Uranus. It was discovered by Scott S. Sheppard, et al. in 2003 and given the provisional designation S/2003 U 3.
Confimed as Uranus XXIII, it was named after the servant of Hero in William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing.

 

Discovered By Scott S. Sheppard
Date of Discovery 2003
Average Distance from Uranus 14,345,000 km
Equatorial Radius 5.5 km
Mass 10,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 1,694.80
Orbital Eccentricity 0.661
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 56.6 º
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  25 Prospero  

Prospero is a relatively small retrograde irregular satellite of Uranus discovered on 1999-07-18 by the astrophysicist Matthew Holman and his team, and given the provisional designation S/1999 U 3. Confirmed as Uranus XVIII it was named after the sorcerer Prospero in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By M. Holman
Date of Discovery 1999
Average Distance from Uranus 16,665,000 km
Equatorial Radius 25 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 1,977.30
Orbital Eccentricity 0.445
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 152 º
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  26 Setebos  

Setebos is one of the outermost retrograde irregular satellites of Uranus. It was discovered on 1999-07-18 by John J. Kavelaars et al. and provisionally designated S/1999 U 1.
Confirmed as Uranus XIX it is named after the god worshipped by Caliban and Sycorax in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By B.J. Gladman, P.D. Nicholson, J.A. Burns, J.J. Kavelaars
Date of Discovery 1999
Average Distance from Uranus 17,879,000 km
Equatorial Radius 23.5 km
Mass 800,000,000,000,000,000 kg
Orbit Period (Earth days) 2,234.80
Orbital Eccentricity 0.591
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 158.2 º

 

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  27 Ferdinand  

Ferdinand is the outermost retrograde irregular satellite of Uranus. It was discovered by Matthew J. Holman, John J. Kavelaars, Dan Milisavljevic, and Brett J. Gladman on August 13, 2001 and given the provisional designation S/2001 U 2.
Despite being seen again on September 21 and November 15 and even a year later on August 13 and September 5, 2002, it was eventually lost. It was finally recovered on September 24, 2003 by Scott S. Sheppard on images obtained by David C. Jewitt and himself on August 29-30 and September 20 of that year. Confirming observations were made by Holman on September 30.
Designated Uranus XXIV it was named after the son of the King of Naples in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

 

Discovered By M. Holman, J.J. Kavelaars, D. Milisavljevic y B. J. Gladman
Date of Discovery 2001 - 2003
Average Distance from Uranus 20,901,000 km
Equatorial Radius 10.5 km
Mass 1.3 x 1015 kg.
Orbit Period (Earth days) 2,823.40
Orbital Eccentricity 0.368
Orbital Inclination to Ecliptic 169.8 º

 

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