Desdemona (moon)

There is also a minor planet called 666 Desdemona.
Desdemona
Discovery image of Desdemona
Discovery
Discovered by Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date January 13, 1986
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 32.0 ± 4 km[2][3][4]
Surface area ~14,500 km²[lower-alpha 1]
Volume ~164,000 km³[lower-alpha 1]
Mass ~1.8×1017 kg[lower-alpha 1]
Mean density ~1.3 g/cm³ (assumed)[3]
Equatorial surface gravity ~0.011 m/s2[lower-alpha 1]
Escape velocity ~0.027 km/s[lower-alpha 1]
Rotation period synchronous[2]
Axial tilt zero[2]
Albedo
Temperature ~64 K[lower-alpha 1]

Desdemona ( /ˌdɛzdɨˈmoʊnə/ dez-di-moh-nə) is an inner satellite of Uranus. It was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 13 January 1986, and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 6.[6] Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.[7]

Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[5] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.[5] Other than its orbit,[1] radius of 32 km[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08[5] virtually nothing is known about Desdemona.

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

Desdemona may collide with one of its neighboring moons Cressida or Juliet within the next 100 million years.[8]

See also

References

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f Calculated on the basis of other parameters.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Jacobson, R. A. (1998). "The Orbits of the Inner Uranian Satellites From Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager 2 Observations". The Astronomical Journal 115 (3): 1195–1199. Bibcode 1998AJ....115.1195J. doi:10.1086/300263.  edit
  2. ^ a b c d e f g 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.  edit
  3. ^ a b c "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?sat_phys_par. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
  4. ^ a b Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uraniansatfact.html. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
  5. ^ a b c d Karkoschka, E. (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.  edit
  6. ^ Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular 4164. http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/04100/04164.html#Item1. Retrieved 29 October 2011. 
  7. ^ "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html. Retrieved 6 August 2006. 
  8. ^ Duncan, Martin J.; Lissauer, Jack J. (1997). "Orbital Stability of the Uranian Satellite System". Icarus 125 (1): 1–12. Bibcode 1997Icar..125....1D. doi:10.1006/icar.1996.5568.  edit

External links

Discovery
Characteristics
Major moons
Exploration
Miscellaneous
Generally listed in increasing distance from Uranus
Inner
Major (spheroid)
Outer (irregular)
Geological features