Belinda (moon)

Belinda

Belinda viewed by Voyager 2 in 1986
Discovery
Discovered by Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date January 13, 1986
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius
75,255.613 ± 0.057 km[1]
Eccentricity 0.00007 ± 0.000073[1]
0.623527470 ± 0.000000017 d[1]
Inclination 0.03063 ± 0.028° (to Uranus' equator)[1]
Satellite of Uranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 128 × 64 × 64 km[2]
Mean radius
40.3 ± 8 km[2][3][4]
~25,000 km² [lower-alpha 1]
Volume ~380,000 km³ [lower-alpha 1]
Mass ~3.6×1017 kg[lower-alpha 1]
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm³ (assumed)[3]
~0.014 m/s²[lower-alpha 1]
~0.034 km/s[lower-alpha 1]
synchronous[2]
zero[2]
Albedo 0.08 ± 0.01[5]
Temperature ~64 K[lower-alpha 1]

    Belinda (/bɨˈlɪndə/ bə-LIN-də) is an inner satellite of the planet Uranus. Belinda was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 13 January 1986 and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 5.[6] It is named after the heroine of Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock. It is also designated Uranus XIV.[7]

    Belinda belongs to the Portia group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Portia, Juliet, Cupid, Rosalind and Perdita.[5] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.[5] Other than its orbit,[1] radius of 45 km[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08[5] virtually nothing is known about it.

    The Voyager 2 images show Belinda as an elongated object with its major axis pointing towards Uranus. The moon is very elongated, with its short axis 0.5 ± 0.1 times the long axis.[2] Its surface is grey in color.[2]

    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

    Sources

    External links