Cordelia (moon)
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- For the asteroid of the same name, see 2758 Cordelia.
 Cordelia (lower-middle, inside of bright ring), as imaged by Voyager 2 |
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| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by: | Richard J. Terrile / Voyager 2 |
| Discovery date: | January 20, 1986 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Mean radius of orbit: | 49,752 km |
| Eccentricity: | 0.00047 |
| Orbital period: | 0.33503 d |
| Inclination: | 0.147° (to Uranus' equator) |
| Satellite of: | Uranus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions: | 50 × 36 km [1] |
| Surface area: | ~5100 km² (estimate) |
| Volume: | ~34,000 km³ (estimate) |
| Mass: | ~4.4×1016 kg (estimate) |
| Mean density: | ~1.3 g/cm³ (estimate) |
| Equatorial surface gravity: | ~0.0073 m/s² (estimate) |
| Escape velocity: | ~0.017 km/s (estimate) |
| Rotation period: | synchronous (assumed) |
| Axial tilt: | zero (assumed) |
| Albedo: | 0.07 (assumed) |
| Temperature: | ~64 K (estimate) |
Cordelia (kor-dee'-lee-ə, IPA: [kɔrˈdiːliə]) is the innermost moon of Uranus. Apart from its orbital radius and dimensions, virtually nothing is known about it. It takes its name from the youngest daughter of Lear in William Shakespeare's King Lear. It is also designated Uranus VI.[2]
It was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on January 20, 1986, and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 7.[3] It was not detected again until the Hubble Space Telescope observed it in 1997.[1]
Cordelia acts as the inner shepherd satellite for Uranus' Epsilon ring. Cordelia's orbit is within Uranus' synchronous orbit radius, and is therefore slowly decaying due to tidal deceleration.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope". Icarus 151: 51–68. DOI:10.1006/icar.2001.6596. Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
- ^ Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology (July 21, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
- ^ Smith, B. A. (January 27, 1986). IAU Circular No. 4168. Retrieved on 2006-08-06.
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| Inner | Cordelia · Ophelia · Bianca · Cressida · Desdemona · Juliet · Portia · Rosalind · Cupid · Belinda · Perdita · Puck · Mab |
| Major (spheroid) | Miranda · Ariel · Umbriel · Titania · Oberon |
| Outer (irregular) | Francisco · Caliban · Stephano · Trinculo · Sycorax · Margaret · Prospero · Setebos · Ferdinand |
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See also Rings of Uranus
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