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GEOL 3045: Planetary Geology

GEOL 3045: Planetary Geology. Lysa Chizmadia Uranus’ Moons. Introduction. 27 named moons Named after Shakesperian & Alexander Pope characters Groups Shepherding Moons Chaotic Moon Swarm Puck, Mab & Cupid Large Inner Satellites Outer Irregular Satellites.

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GEOL 3045: Planetary Geology

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  1. GEOL 3045: Planetary Geology Lysa Chizmadia Uranus’ Moons

  2. Introduction • 27 named moons • Named after Shakesperian & Alexander Pope characters • Groups • Shepherding Moons • Chaotic Moon Swarm • Puck, Mab & Cupid • Large Inner Satellites • Outer Irregular Satellites Image from: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Display=Moons&Object=Uranus

  3. Shepherding Moons • Keep outer epsilon ring well defined • Cordelia • Inner shepherd • 15km in diameter • Ophelia • Outer shepherd • 16 km in diameter • Must be inner shepherds, but not yet discovered Image from: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Ura_Cordelia

  4. Choatic Moon Swarm • Orbital parameters highly chaotic • Probably collide with each other regularly • 8 small satellites • Bianca (21 km radius) • Cressida (33km radius) • Desdemona (27 km radius) • Juliet (42km radius) • Portia (54km radius) • Rosalind (27km radius) • Belinda (33km radius) • Perdita Images from: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Display=Moons&Object=Uranus

  5. Puck, Mab & Cupid • Puck • 77km radius • Orbital period: 0.76 days • Inclination: 0.31 degrees • Mab • 16 km radius • Orbital period: 0.92 days • Cupid • 12km radius • Orbital period: 0.61 days Image from: http://www.solarviews.com/eng/puck.htm

  6. Major Satellites • Miranda • Smallest of 5 • Huge fault canyons • Ariel • Brightest & very young surface • Intersecting valleys • Umbriel • Darkest & ancient • Mysterious bright ring • Titania • Largest moon • Oberon • Heavily cratered Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/images/Uranus_moons.jpg Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Uranus

  7. Miranda • Diameter: 470 km • Orbital period: 1.4 days • Eccentricity: 0.0013 • Inclination: 4.23 (high) • Density: 1.20 g/cm3 • Fault canyons • 20km deep • Mixture of young & old terrains • Jumbled together • Tidal forces? Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/U/Uranusmoons.html

  8. Ariel • Diameter: 1156 km • Orbital period: 2.5 days • Eccentricity: 0.0012 • Inclination: 0.26 • Density: 1.67 g/cm3 • Mixture of heavily cratered terrains & smooth plains • Dry ice detected on surface • Interconnected valleys • Chasmata • 100s km long • >10 km deep • Floors smoothed by fluid Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/U/Uranusmoons.html

  9. Umbriel Wunda • Diameter: 1169 km (~ Ariel) • Orbital period: 4.14 days • Eccentricity: 0.0039 • Inclination: 0.36 • Density: 1.40 g/cm3 (~ Ariel) • Very old, heavily cratered surface • Mysterious bright ring • Wunda • 140 km diameter Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/U/Uranusmoons.html

  10. Titania • Orbital period: 8.7 days • Eccentricity: 0.0011 • Inclination: 0.34 • Density: 1.72 g/cm3 • Largest moon of Uranus • Mixture of cratered terrains & interconnected valleys • Largest trench 1600km long • Faults  internal forces Image from:http://www.solarviews.com/eng/titania.htm Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/U/Uranusmoons.html

  11. Oberon • Diameter: 1523 km • Orbital period: 13.5 days • Eccentricity: 0.0008 • Inclination: 0.10 • Density: 1.64 g/cm3 • 2nd Largest moon of Uranus • Heavily cratered w/ bright rays • S hemisphere has large faults 6 km high Image from: http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/U/Uranusmoons.html

  12. Outer Irregular Satellites • Retrograde & highly inclined • 5 moons • Caliban • Stephano • Sycorax • Prospero • Setebos Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Uranus Image from: http://www.solarviews.com/eng/caliban.htm

  13. Summary • Inner shepherd moons • Cordelia & Ophelia • Puck, Mab & Cupid • Largest • Miranda: heavily cratered terrain mixed w/ smooth blocks • Ariel: brightest & has chasmata with smooth floors • Umbriel: darkest & has bright ring crater on N pole • Titania: largest moon & mixture of cratered terrain & trenchs & faults • Oberon: highly cratered • Outer irregular satellites • Retrograde & highly inclined • Probable captured asteroids

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