Miranda (moon)
| |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Gerard Kuiper |
| Discovered in | 1948 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Mean radius | km |
| Eccentricity | ~0.0013 |
| Orbital period | 1.413479d |
| Inclination | 4.34° |
| Is a satellite of | Uranus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 471.6 km |
| Surface area | km2 |
| Mass | 19 kilogram>kg |
| Mean density | 1.20 g/cm3 |
| Surface gravity | m/s2 |
| Rotation period | 1.413479 days |
| Axial tilt | ?° |
| Albedo | 0.34 |
| Surface temp | K |
| Atmospheric pressure | kPa |
Miranda is the smallest and innermost of Uranus' major moonss. It is named after Prospero's daughter in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.
Miranda's surface may be mostly water ice, with the low density body being made of silicate rock and methane-related organic compounds. Miranda's surface is criss-crossed by huge canyons up to 20 kilometres (12 miles) deep, with patchwork regions of broken terrain indicating intense geological activity in the moon's past. It is thought that this activity is likely powered by tidal forces from Uranus, but another theory suggests that Miranda was at some point struck by a massive object that partially shattered the moon.
Scientists recognize the following geological features on Miranda:
- Craters
- Coronae (large ovoid features)
- Regiones (geological regions)
- Rupes (scarps)
- Sulci (parallel grooves)
External links:
- Kuiper, Gerard P., "The fifth satellite of Uranus", PASP 61 (1949) 129
- http://www.solarviews.com/eng/miranda.htm
- http://www.nineplanets.org/miranda.html