Caliban (moon)

Caliban
Discovery
Discovered by Brett J. Gladman,
Philip D. Nicholson,
Joseph A. Burns,
and John J. Kavelaars
Discovered in September 6, 1997
Orbital characteristics
Semi-major axis 7,231,000 km
orbital eccentricity 0.1588
Orbital period 579.73 d
Inclination 120.28° (to Uranus' equator)
140.878° (to the local Laplace plane)
139.89° (to the ecliptic)
Is a moon of Uranus
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter ~72 km (estimate)[1]
Surface area ~16,000 km2 (estimate)
Volume ~200,000 km3 (estimate)
Mass ~7.4×1017 kg (estimate)
Mean density ~1.5 g/cm3 (estimate)
Surface gravity ~0.02 m/s2 (estimate)
Escape velocity ~0.045 km/s (estimate)
Rotation period 2.7h[2]
Axial tilt unknown
Albedo 0.04 (assumed)[1]
Surface temp.
min mean max
~64 K (estimate)
Atmosphere none

Caliban is the second biggest retrograde non-spherical moon of Uranus.

Caliban was found on 1997-09-06 by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J. Kavelaars using the 200-inch Hale telescope together with Sycorax and given the designation S/1997 U 1.[3]

Designated Uranus XVI it was named after the monster fictional character in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong, together with Stephano to the same dynamic cluster, suggesting common origin.[4]

The diameter is estimated at 72 km (assuming albedo of 0.04),[1] making it the second biggest non-spherical moon of Uranus, half the size of Sycorax, the biggest non-spherical moon of Uranus.

The light curve suggests Caliban's rotation period is 2.7 hours.[2]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna An Ultradeep Survey for Irregular Satellites of Uranus: Limits to Completeness, The Astronomical Journal, 129 (2005), pages 518–525 . Preprint
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 M. Maris, G. Carraro, G. Cremonese, M. Fulle Multicolor Photometry of the Uranus Irregular Satellites Sycorax and Caliban, The Astronomical Journal, 121 (May 2001), pp. 2800-2803, [1][permanent dead link]
  3. ↑ GLADMAN, NICHOLSON, BURNS, KAVELAARS, MARSDEN, WILLIAMS & OFFUTT Discovery of two distant irregular moons of Uranus, Nature, 392 (1998), pp. 897 - 899
  4. ↑ Grav, Tommy; Holman, Matthew J.; Gladman, Brett J.; Aksnes, Kaare Photometric survey of the irregular satellites,Icarus, 166 (2003), pp. 33-45. Preprint

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