Belinda

Belinda

Discovery
Discovered by	Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2
Discovery date	January 13, 1986
Orbital characteristics
Mean orbit radius	75,255.613 ± 0.057 km[1]
Eccentricity	0.00007 ± 0.000073[1]
Orbital period	0.623527470 ± 0.000000017 d[1]
Inclination	0.03063 ± 0.028° (to Uranus' equator)[1]
Satellite of	Uranus
Proper orbital elements
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	128 × 64 × 64 km[2]
Mean radius	40.3 ± 8 km[2][3][4]
Surface area	~25,000 km² [a]
Volume	~380,000 km³ [a]
Mass	~3.6×1017 kg[a]
Mean density	~1.3 g/cm³ (assumed)[3]
Equatorial surface gravity	~0.014 m/s² [a]
Escape velocity	~0.034 km/s[a]
Rotation period	synchronous[2]
Axial tilt	zero[2]
Albedo	0.08 ± 0.01[5]
Temperature	~64 K[a]

Belinda ( /bɨˈlɪndə/ bə-lin-də) is an inner satellite of the planet Uranus. Belinda was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 13 January 1986 and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 5.^[6] It is named after the heroine of Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock. It is also designated Uranus XIV.^[7]

Belinda belongs to the Portia group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Portia, Juliet, Cupid, Rosalind and Perdita.^[5] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.^[5] Other than its orbit,^[1] radius of 45 km^[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08^[5] virtually nothing is known about it.

The Voyager 2 images show Belinda as an elongated object with its major axis pointing towards Uranus. The moon is very elongated, with its short axis 0.5 ± 0.1 times the long axis.^[2] Its surface is grey in color.^[2]

See also

• Moons of Uranus

References

Explanatory notes

Citations

Sources

• 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.  edit
• 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.  edit
• "Planetary Satellite Physical Parameters". JPL (Solar System Dynamics). 18 October 2010. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?sat_phys_par. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 
• Williams, Dr. David R. (23 November 2007). "Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet". NASA (National Space Science Data Center). http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uraniansatfact.html. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 
• 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.  edit
• Marsden, Brian G. (1986-01-16). "Satellites of Uranus". IAU Circular 4164. http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/04100/04164.html#Item1. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 
• USGS/IAU (July 21, 2006). "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Planets#UranianSystem. Retrieved 2012-01-27. 

External links

• Belinda Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
• Uranus' Known Satellites (by Scott S. Sheppard)

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