Astronomy:Perdita (moon)

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Short description: Moon of Uranus
Perdita
Perdita feat.jpg
Discovery
Discovered byErich Karkoschka / Voyager 2
Discovery dateMay 18, 1999 (in images dating back to January 18, 1986)
Designations
Designation
Uranus XXV
Pronunciation/ˈpɜːrdətə/[1]
AdjectivesPerditean /pɜːrdəˈtiːən/[2]
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius76,417 ± 1 km[3]
Eccentricity0.0012 ± 0.0005[3]
Orbital period0.638021 ± 0.000013 d[3]
Inclination0.0 ± 0.3° (to Uranus' equator)[3]
Satellite ofUranus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions30 × 30 × 30 km[3]
Mean radius15 ± 3 km[3]
Surface area~2,800 km2 [lower-alpha 1]
Volume~14,000 km3 [lower-alpha 1]
Mass~0.18×1017 kg[lower-alpha 1]
Mean density~1.3 g/cm3 (assumed)
~0.0047 m/s2 [lower-alpha 1]
~0.011 km/s[lower-alpha 1]
Rotation periodsynchronous[3]
Axial tiltzero[3]
Albedo0.08 ± 0.01[4]
Physics~64 K[lower-alpha 1]


Perdita /ˈpɜːrdətə/ is an inner satellite of Uranus. Perdita's discovery was very complicated, as the first photographs of Perdita were taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, but it was not recognized from the photographs for more than a decade. In 1999, the moon was noticed by Erich Karkoschka and reported.[3][5] But because no further pictures could be taken to confirm its existence, it was officially demoted in 2001.[6] However, in 2003, pictures taken by the Hubble Space Telescope managed to pick up an object where Perdita was supposed to be, finally confirming its existence.[7][8]

Following its discovery in 1999, it was given the temporary designation of S/1986 U 10.[5] It was named Perdita (Latin for 'lost') after the daughter of Leontes and Hermione in William Shakespeare's play The Winter's Tale. The moon is also designated Uranus XXV.[9]

Discovery image of Perdita taken by Voyager 2 on 23 January 1986. The location of the moon is indicated by the arrow on the upper right.

The moon orbits between Belinda and Puck. The above-mentioned Hubble measurements prove that Perdita does not follow a direct Keplerian motion around Uranus. Instead, it is clearly caught in a 43:44 orbital resonance with the nearby moon Belinda. It is also close to an 8:7 resonance with Rosalind.[3][7]

Perdita belongs to the Portia group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Portia, Juliet, Cupid, Rosalind and Belinda.[4] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.[4] Little is known about Perdita apart from its orbit,[3][7] radius of 15 km[3] and geometric albedo of 0.08.[4]

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

  1. ↑ Benjamin Smith (1903) The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  2. ↑ Byrne (2008) Perdita: the literary, theatrical, scandalous life of Mary Robinson
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Karkoschka, Voyager 2001.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Karkoschka, Hubble 2001.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 IAUC 7171.
  6. ↑ Foust 2001.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Showalter & Lissauer 2006.
  8. ↑ IAUC 8194.
  9. ↑ USGS: Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers.

Sources

External links



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