Stephano (moon)

Wikipedia

Stephano
Discovery image of Stephano (encircled)
Discovery
Discovered by
Discovery dateJuly 18, 1999
Designations
Designation
Uranus XX
Pronunciation/ˈstɛfən/ STEF-ən-oh[1][2]
AdjectivesStephanonian /ˌstɛfəˈnniən/ STEF-ə-NOH-nee-ən[3]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Mean orbit radius
7 951 400 km
Eccentricity0.235
677 d
Inclination143.6° (to the ecliptic)
Satellite ofUranus
GroupCaliban group
Physical characteristics
16 km (estimate)[5]
~3200 km2 (estimate)
Volume~17 000 km3 (estimate)
Mass~2.2×1016 kg (estimate)
Mean density
~1.3 g/cm3 (assumed)
~0.006 m/s2 (estimate)
~0.014 km/s (estimate)
?
?
Albedo0.04 (assumed)[5]
Temperature~65 K (estimate)
Spectral type
B–V = 0.97 ± 0.07, V–R = 0.66 ± 0.05[6]

    Stephano (/ˈstɛfən/ 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 a common origin.[13]

    Animation of several irregular moons' orbits around Uranus, including that of Stephano's.
       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. "Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters". JPL/NASA. Retrieved 2024-10-28.
    5. 1 2 Sheppard, Jewitt & Kleyna 2005, p. 523, Table 3 ... ri (km) ... 16 ... i Radius of satellite assuming a geometric albedo of 0.04.
    6. Graykowski, Ariel; Jewitt, David (2018-04-05). "Colors and Shapes of the Irregular Planetary Satellites". The Astronomical Journal. 155 (4): 184. arXiv:1803.01907. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aab49b. ISSN 1538-3881.
    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