Desdemona (moon)

Desdemona
	Discovery image of Desdemona
Discovery
Discovered by	Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date	January 13, 1986
Designations
Designation	Uranus X
Pronunciation	/dɛzdəˈmoʊnə/
Adjectives	Desdemonan, Desdemonian, Desdemonean /dɛzdəˈmoʊn(i)ən/
Orbital characteristics
Semi-major axis	62,658.364 ± 0.047 km
Eccentricity	0.00013 ± 0.000070
Orbital period (sidereal)	0.473649597 ± 0.000000014 d
Inclination	0.11252 ± 0.037° (to Uranus' equator)
Satellite of	Uranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	90 × 54 × 54 km
Surface area	~13,000 km2
Volume	137400±37.5% km3
Mass	(1.237±0.436)×1017 kg
Mean density	≥0.66 g/cm3; ~0.90 g/cm3 (assumed)
Surface gravity	~0.004–0.011 m/s2
Escape velocity	~0.019–0.025 km/s
Synodic rotation period	synchronous
Axial tilt	zero
Albedo	0.08 ± 0.01; 0.07
Temperature	~64 K
	[N 1] Only two dimensions are known; the third dimension has been assumed to equal the smaller known dimension.;

Desdemona 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.^[11] Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.^[12]

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Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda, and Perdita.^[8] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.^[8] Other than its orbit,^[5] size of 90 × 54 km,^[6] and geometric albedo of 0.08,^[8] virtually nothing is known about Desdemona.

In Voyager 2 imagery, Desdemona appears as an elongated object, with its major axis pointing towards Uranus. The ratio of axes of Desdemona's prolate spheroid is 0.6 ± 0.3.^[6] Its surface is grey in color.^[6]

Desdemona may collide with one of its neighboring moons Cressida or Juliet within the next 100 million years.^[13]

Moons of Uranus

Calculated on the basis of other parameters.

[1]
Benjamin Smith (1903). The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia.
[2]
Harris; Lazzari (1997), Shakespearean criticism
[3]
Daileader (2005). Racism, misogyny, and the Othello myth.
[4]
Genova (1997). Power, gender, values.
[5]
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. S2CID 118616209.
[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.
[7]
French, Richard G.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Nicholson, Philip D.; Longaretti, Pierre-Yves; McGhee-French, Colleen A. (2024-03-15). "The Uranus system from occultation observations (1977–2006): Rings, pole direction, gravity field, and masses of Cressida, Cordelia, and Ophelia". Icarus. 411: 115957. arXiv:2401.04634. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115957. ISSN 0019-1035.
[8]
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.
[9]
"Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
[10]
Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 2008.
[11]
Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular. 4164. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
[12]
"Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
[13]
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.

[7] [N 1]
Only two dimensions are known; the third dimension has been assumed to equal the smaller known dimension.

[calculated-8] Calculated on the basis of other parameters.

[1] [1]
Benjamin Smith (1903). The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia.

[2] [2]
Harris; Lazzari (1997), Shakespearean criticism

[3] [3]
Daileader (2005). Racism, misogyny, and the Othello myth.

[4] [4]
Genova (1997). Power, gender, values.

[Jacobson_1998-5] [5]
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. S2CID 118616209.

[Karkoschka,_Voyager_2001-6] [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.

[FrenchEtAl2024-9] [7]
French, Richard G.; Hedman, Matthew M.; Nicholson, Philip D.; Longaretti, Pierre-Yves; McGhee-French, Colleen A. (2024-03-15). "The Uranus system from occultation observations (1977–2006): Rings, pole direction, gravity field, and masses of Cressida, Cordelia, and Ophelia". Icarus. 411: 115957. arXiv:2401.04634. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2024.115957. ISSN 0019-1035.

[Karkoschka,_Hubble_2001-10] [8]
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.

[JPL-SSD-sat_phys-11] [9]
"Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.

[Williams_2007_nssdc-12] [10]
Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 2008.

[IAUC_4164-13] [11]
Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular. 4164. Archived from the original on 5 November 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.

[Gazetteer-14] [12]
"Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.

[Duncan_Lissauer_1997-15] [13]
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.

[11]

[12]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[note 1]

[lower-alpha 1]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[13]

Desdemona (moon)

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See also

Notes

References

External links

Discovery
Discovery image of Desdemona
Discovered by	Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date	January 13, 1986
Designations
Designation	Uranus X
Pronunciation	/dɛzdəˈmoʊnə/^[1]
Adjectives	Desdemonan,^[2] Desdemonian,^[3] Desdemonean^[4] /dɛzdəˈmoʊn(i)ən/
Orbital characteristics^[5]
Semi-major axis	62,658.364 ± 0.047 km
Eccentricity	0.00013 ± 0.000070
Orbital period (sidereal)	0.473649597 ± 0.000000014 d
Inclination	0.11252 ± 0.037° (to Uranus' equator)
Satellite of	Uranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	90 × 54 × 54 km^[6]^{[note 1]}
Surface area	~13,000 km²^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Volume	137400±37.5% km³^[7]
Mass	(1.237±0.436)×10¹⁷ kg^[7]
Mean density	≥0.66 g/cm³^[7] ~0.90 g/cm³ (assumed)
Surface gravity	~0.004–0.011 m/s²^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Escape velocity	~0.019–0.025 km/s^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Synodic rotation period	synchronous^[6]
Axial tilt	zero^[6]
Albedo	0.08 ± 0.01^[8] 0.07^[9]^[10]
Temperature	~64 K^{[lower-alpha 1]}
[N 1] Only two dimensions are known; the third dimension has been assumed to equal the smaller known dimension.