Desdemona (moon)

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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
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 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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Calculated on the basis of other parameters.

    Citations

    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 Voyager 2 Observations". The Astronomical Journal 115 (3): 1195–1199. Bibcode:1998AJ....115.1195J. 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 (1): 69–77. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...69K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6597. 
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
    4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 2008. 
    5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 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. 
    6. ↑ Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular 4164. Retrieved 29 October 2011. 
    7. ↑ "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. 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. 

    External links

    Geography
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    Related
    • Uranus portal
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