KOMPAS.com – The planet Uranus is a planet that ranks seventh in the solar system. Like planets in general, the planet Uranus has a natural satellite orbiting the planet.
Until 2024, the planet Uranus is known to have 28 satellites. However, there are interesting things that differentiate Uranus’ satellites from other planetary satellites.
The names used by the planet Uranus are the names of characters created by William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
This is different from other planetary satellites in the solar system, the majority of which are named after Roman mythological gods.
Also read: Get to know Uranus, the coldest planet in the Solar System
The satellites of the planet Uranus that have been successfully detected include Oberon, Titania, Ariel, Umbriel, Juliet, Miranda, Puck, Cordelia, Ophelia, Bianca, Desdemona, Portia, Rosalind, and Belinda.
Among all these satellites, the planet Uranus has the five largest satellites, namely:
- Titania
- Oberon
- Ariel
- Umbriel
- Miranda
The explanation of the five satellites is as follows!
Also read: Natural Satellites in the Solar System
Titania
Titania is the largest satellite of the planet Uranus. This satellite has a diameter of about 1,600 kilometers.
Titania was the first satellite discovered by William Herschel in 1787.
Like Uranus’ satellites in general, Titania has a neutral color and tends to be grayish.
Oberon
Oberon is the second largest satellite of the planet Uranus. This satellite has a diameter of approximately 1,522 kilometers.
This satellite was also one of the first satellites discovered by William Herschel, along with Titania, in 1787.
Also read: Differences between Planets, Stars and Satellites
Oberon consists of an array of ice and rock. The surface of the Oberon satellite is full of craters.
Apart from that, there is a mountain that stretches across the surface of the Oberon satellite with a height of around 6 km.
Ariel
Ariel is the brightest satellite of the planet Uranus. This satellite was discovered in 1851 by William Lassel.
This satellite is known to be the youngest satellite of all the satellites of the planet Uranus. This can be seen from the craters that form on its surface.
These craters are thought to have just been formed as a result of the recent impact.
Additionally, this satellite shows some of the most geological activity compared to other satellites.
Also read: Asteroids, Rocks in the Solar System
Umbriel
Umbriel is the darkest satellite of the planet Uranus. This satellite was also discovered by British astronomer William Lassel in 1851.
This satellite is the darkest satellite because it only reflects 16 percent of sunlight.
The surface of this satellite is known to have old craters and several mysterious bright rings on each side.
Also read: Why is the Moon Called Earth’s Natural Satellite?
Miranda
Miranda is the smallest of the five large satellites of the planet Uranus.
Apart from that, this satellite is also the most distant satellite. Miranda was discovered by Gerard P. Kuiper through his telescope in 1948.
Miranda has a surface whose structure looks messy.
This is thought to be because this satellite was once destroyed and then its pieces came together again in an irregular manner.
Also read: Is Meteor Shower Dangerous?
Reference:
- Ingersoll, A. P. (2023, June 6). Oberon. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- The Science Mission Directorate. (n.d.). Ariel. Retrieved 02 April, 2024. From NASA:
- The Science Mission Directorate. (n.d.). Miranda. Retrieved 02 April, 2024. From NASA:
- The Science Mission Directorate. (n.d.). Titania. Retrieved 02 April, 2024. From NASA:
- The Science Mission Directorate. (nd). Umbrella. Retrieved April 02, 2024. From NASA:
- The Science Mission Directorate. (n.d.). Uranus Moons: Facts. Retrieved 02 April, 2024. From NASA:
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2024-04-04 11:00:00
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