Desdemona (moon)

Desdemona is a closer moon to Uranus. It was found from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 1986-01-13, and was given the designation S/1986 U 6.[5] Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.[6]

Desdemona
Discovery
Discovered byStephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery dateJanuary 13, 1986
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius
62,658.364 ± 0.047 km[1]
Eccentricity0.00013 ± 0.000070[1]
0.473649597 ± 0.000000014 d[1]
Inclination0.11252 ± 0.037° (to Uranus' equator)[1]
Satellite ofUranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions90 × 54 × 54 km[2]
Mean radius
34 ± 4 km[2]
~14,500 km²[3]
Volume~164,000 km³[3]
Mass~2.3×1017 kg[3]
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm³ assumed
~0.011 m/s2[3]
~0.027 km/s[3]
synchronous[2]
zero[2]
Albedo0.08 ± 0.01[4]
Temperature~64 K[3]
    Discovery image of Desdemona

    Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of moons, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[4] These moons have similar orbits and photometric properties.[4] Unfortunately, other than its orbit,[1] radius of 34 km[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08[4] almost nothing is known about it.

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

    References
    1. Jacobson, R.A. (1998). "The Orbits of the Inner Uranian Satellites From Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager2 Observations". The Astronomical Journal. 115 (3): 1195–1199. Bibcode:1998AJ....115.1195J. doi:10.1086/300263. S2CID 118616209.
    2. 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. Calculated on the basis of other parameters
    4. 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.
    5. Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "IAU Circular No. 4164". Retrieved 2006-08-06.
    6. "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-06.

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