Desdemona (moon)
- There is also a minor planet called 666 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] |
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] |
~14,500 km²[a] | |
Volume | ~164,000 km³[a] |
Mass | ~1.8×1017 kg[a] |
Mean density | ~1.3 g/cm³ (assumed)[3] |
~0.011 m/s2[a] | |
~0.027 km/s[a] | |
synchronous[2] | |
zero[2] | |
Albedo | |
Temperature | ~64 K[a] |
Desdemona (/ˌdɛzd[invalid input: 'ɨ']ˈmoʊnə/ 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
Citations
- ^ a b c d e
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instead. - ^ a b c d e f g
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instead. - ^ a b c "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
- ^ a b Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 2008.
- ^ a b c d
Attention: This template ({{cite doi}}) is deprecated. To cite the publication identified by doi: 10.1006/icar.2001.6596 , please use {{cite journal}} (if it was published in a bona fide academic journal, otherwise {{cite report}} with
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instead. - ^ Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular. 4164. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- ^ "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- ^
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instead.