Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Erich Karkoschka / Voyager 2 |
Discovery date | May 18, 1999 (in images dating back to January 18, 1986) |
Designations | |
Designation | Uranus XXV |
Pronunciation | /ˈpɜːrdətə/[1] |
Adjectives | Perditean /pɜːrdəˈtiːən/[2] |
Orbital characteristics | |
Mean orbit radius | 76,417 ± 1 km[3] |
Eccentricity | 0.0012 ± 0.0005[3] |
Orbital period | 0.638021 ± 0.000013 d[3] |
Inclination | 0.0 ± 0.3° (to Uranus' equator)[3] |
Satellite of | Uranus |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 30 × 30 × 30 km[3] |
Mean radius | 15 ± 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 period | synchronous[3] |
Axial tilt | zero[3] |
Albedo | 0.08 ± 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]
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]
Explanatory notes
Citations
Sources
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perdita (moon).
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