Desdemona (moon)

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There is also a minor planet called 666 Desdemona.
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 km[a]
Volume ~164,000 km[a]
Mass
~1.81017 kg[a]
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm (assumed)[3]
Surface gravity
~0.011 m/s2[a]
Escape velocity
~0.027 km/s[a]
Rotation period
synchronous[2]
Axial tilt
zero[2]
Albedo
0.08 0.01[5]
0.07[3][4]
Temperature
~64 K[a]
Desdemona (/?d?zd?'mo?n?/ dez-di-moh-n?) 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 O
thello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.[7]
Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cre
ssida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[5] These satellites
have similar orbits and photometric properties.[5] Other than its orbit,[1] rad
ius 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 withi
n the next 100 million years.[8]
See also[edit]
Moons of Uranus
References[edit]

Explanatory notes
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Calculated on the basis of other parameters.
Citations
^ Jump up to: 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 Astrono
mical Journal. 115 (3): 1195 1199. Bibcode:1998AJ....115.1195J. doi:10.1086/300263
.
^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Voyager's Eleventh Discov
ery of a Satellite of Uranus and Photometry and the First Size Measurements of N
ine Satellites". Icarus. 151 (1): 69 77. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...69K. doi:10.1006/
icar.2001.6597.
^ Jump up to: a b c "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System
Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
^ Jump up to: a b Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite
Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 20
08.
^ Jump up to: a b c d 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.
Jump up ^ Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular.
4164. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
Jump up ^ "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary N
omenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
Jump up ^ Duncan, Martin J.; Lissauer, Jack J. (1997). "Orbital Stability of the
Uranian Satellite System". Icarus. 125 (1): 1 12. Bibcode:1997Icar..125....1D. do
i:10.1006/icar.1996.5568.
External links[edit]