Stephano
Discovery image of Stephano (encircled)
Discovery
Discovered by
Discovery dateJuly 18, 1999
Designations
Designation
Uranus XX
Pronunciation/ˈstɛfənoʊ/ STEF-ən-oh[1][2]
AdjectivesStephanonian /ˌstɛfəˈnoʊniən/ STEF-ə-NOH-nee-ən[3]
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius
8,004,000 km[4][5]
Eccentricity0.2292[5]
677.37 d
Inclination141.81° (to the ecliptic),144°[4]
Satellite ofUranus
GroupCaliban group
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
16 km (estimate)[6]
~3,000 km2 (estimate)
Volume~20,000 km3 (estimate)
Mass~2.2×1016 kg (estimate)
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm3 (assumed)
~0.0041 m/s2 (estimate)
~0.013 km/s (estimate)
?
?
Albedo0.04 (assumed)[6]
Temperature~65 K (estimate)

Stephano (/ˈstɛfənoʊ/ STEF-ən-oh) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Uranus. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman, et al. in 1999, and given the provisional designation S/1999 U 2.[7][8][9][10][11]

Confirmed as Uranus XX, it was named after the drunken butler in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest in August 2000.[12]

The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong to the same dynamic cluster as Caliban, suggesting common origin.[13]

Animation of Stephano's orbit around Uranus.
   Uranus  ·    Sycorax ·    Francisco  ·    Caliban  ·    Stephano  ·    Trinculo
Animation of discovery images taken by the CFHT in July 1999

See also

References

  1. ^ Shakespeare Recording Society (1995) The Tempest (audio CD)
  2. ^ Benjamin Smith (1903) The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
  3. ^ Lessing (1914) How the Ancients Represented Death
  4. ^ a b Sheppard, Jewitt & Kleyna 2005, p. 523, Table 3.
  5. ^ a b Yeomans, Donald K. (2007-06-28). "Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters". JPL/NASA. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
  6. ^ a b Sheppard, Jewitt & Kleyna 2005, p. 523, Table 3 ... ri (km) ... 16 ... i Radius of satellite assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04.
  7. ^ Gladman, B. J.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Holman, M. J., Petit, J.-M.; Scholl, H.; Nicholson, P. D.; and Burns, J. A.; The Discovery of Uranus XIX, XX, and XXI, Icarus, 147 (2000), pp. 320–324
  8. ^ Marsden, Brian G.; Probable New Satellites of Uranus, IAUC 7230, 1999 July 27
  9. ^ Marsden, Brian G.; Probable New Satellites of Uranus, IAUC 7248, 1999 September 4
  10. ^ Marsden, Brian G.; S/1999 U 1, S/1999 U 2 and S/1999 U 3, IAUC 7385, 2000 March 24
  11. ^ Marsden, Brian G.; S/1999 U 2, IAUC 7473, 2000 August 5
  12. ^ Marsden, Brian G.; Satellites of Uranus, IAUC 7479, 2000 August 21
  13. ^ Grav, Tommy; Holman, Matthew J.; Gladman, Brett J.; and Aksnes, Kaare; Photometric survey of the irregular satellites,Icarus, 166 (2003), pp. 33-45. arXiv:astro-ph/0301016

External links

Uranus
Moons of Uranus
Natural satellites of the Solar System
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