Cressida (moon)
Cressida /ˈkrɛsɪdə/ is an inner satellite of Uranus. It was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 9 January 1986, and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 3.[9] It was named after Cressida, the Trojan daughter of Calchas, a tragic heroine who appears in William Shakespeare's play Troilus and Cressida (as well as in tales by Geoffrey Chaucer and others). It is also designated Uranus IX.[10]
- There is also an asteroid called 548 Kressida.
Voyager 2 image of Cressida | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2 |
Discovery date | January 9, 1986 |
Designations | |
Designation | Uranus IX |
Pronunciation | /ˈkrɛsɪdə/[1] |
Named after | Χρησίδα |
Adjectives | Cressidian /krɛˈsɪdiən/[2] |
Orbital characteristics | |
Mean orbit radius | 61,766.730 ± 0.046 km[3] |
Eccentricity | 0.00036 ± 0.00011[3] |
0.463569601 ± 0.000000013 d[3] | |
Inclination | 0.006 ± 0.040° (to Uranus' equator)[3] |
Satellite of | Uranus |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 92 × 74 × 74 km[4] |
Mean radius | 39.8 ± 2 km[4][5][6] |
~20,000 km²[lower-alpha 1] | |
Volume | ~260,000 km³[lower-alpha 1] |
Mass | 2.5±0.4×1017 kg[7] |
Mean density | 0.86±0.16 g/cm³[7] |
~0.013 m/s2[lower-alpha 1] | |
~0.034 km/s[lower-alpha 1] | |
synchronous[4] | |
zero[4] | |
Albedo | |
Temperature | ~64 K[lower-alpha 1] |
Cressida belongs to the Portia Group of satellites, which includes Bianca, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[8] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.[8] Other than its orbit,[3] radius of 41 km[4] and geometric albedo of 0.08,[8] virtually nothing is known about it.
In the Voyager 2 images Cressida appears as an elongated object, its major axis pointing towards Uranus. The ratio of axes of Cressida's prolate spheroid is 0.8 ± 0.3.[4] Its surface is grey in color.[4]
Cressida orbits close to a 3:2 resonance with the η ring, one of the rings of Uranus. Perturbations of the ring's shape provide a way to measure the mass of Cressida, which was found to be 2.5±0.4×1017 kg. Cressida is the only small satellite of Uranus for which the mass has been directly measured.[7]
Cressida may collide with Desdemona within the next 100 million years.[11]
See also
References
Explanatory notes
- Calculated on the basis of other parameters.
Citations
- Benjamin Smith (1903) The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Kellog (1995) Boccaccio's and Chaucer's Cressida
- Jacobson, R. A. (1998). "The Orbits of the Inner Uranian Satellites From Hubble Space Telescope and Voyager 2 Observations". The Astronomical Journal. 115 (3): 1195–1199. Bibcode:1998AJ....115.1195J. doi:10.1086/300263.
- Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Voyager's Eleventh Discovery of a Satellite of Uranus and Photometry and the First Size Measurements of Nine Satellites". Icarus. 151 (1): 69–77. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...69K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6597.
- "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 24 October 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2008.
- Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). Retrieved 12 December 2008.
- Chancia, Robert. A.; Hedman, Matthew M.; French, Richard G. (28 August 2017). "Weighing Uranus' moon Cressida with the η ring". The Astronomical Journal. 154 (4): 153. arXiv:1708.07566. Bibcode:2017AJ....154..153C. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa880e.
- Karkoschka, Erich (2001). "Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope". Icarus. 151 (1): 51–68. Bibcode:2001Icar..151...51K. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6596.
- Smith, B. A. (January 16, 1986). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular. 4164. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
- "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
- Duncan, Martin J.; Lissauer, Jack J. (1997). "Orbital Stability of the Uranian Satellite System". Icarus. 125 (1): 1–12. Bibcode:1997Icar..125....1D. doi:10.1006/icar.1996.5568.