- There is also a minor planet called 666 Desdemona.
 Discovery image of Desdemona | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 2 |
| Discovery date | January 13, 1986 |
| Mean orbit radius | 62,658.364 ± 0.047 km[1] |
| Eccentricity | 0.00013 ± 0.000070[1] |
| Orbital period | 0.473649597 ± 0.000000014 d[1] |
| Inclination | 0.11252 ± 0.037° (to Uranus' equator)[1] |
| Satellite of | Uranus |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 90 × 54 × 54 km[2] |
| Mean radius | 32.0 ± 4 km[2][3][4] |
| Surface area | ~14,500 km²[5] |
| Volume | ~164,000 km³[5] |
| Mass | ~1.8 × 1017 kg[5] |
| Mean density | ~1.3 g/cm³ assumed[3] |
| Equatorial surface gravity | ~0.011 m/s2[5] |
| Escape velocity | ~0.027 km/s[5] |
| Rotation period | synchronous[2] |
| Axial tilt | zero[2] |
| Albedo | 0.08 ± 0.01[6] 0.07[3][4] |
| Temperature | ~64 K[5] |
| | |
Desdemona (pronounced /ˌdɛzdɨˈmoʊnə/ DEZ-di-MOE-nə) is an inner satellite of Uranus. It was discovered from the images taken by Voyager 2 on 1986-01-13, and was given the temporary designation S/1986 U 6.[7] Desdemona is named after the wife of Othello in William Shakespeare's play Othello. It is also designated Uranus X.[8]
Desdemona belongs to Portia Group of satellites, which also includes Bianca, Cressida, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita.[6] These satellites have similar orbits and photometric properties.[6] Unfortunately, other than its orbit,[1] radius of 32 km[2] and geometric albedo of 0.08[6] virtually nothing is known about it.
At the Voyager 2 images Desdemona appears as an elongated object, the major axis pointing towards Uranus. The ratio of axes of Desdemona's prolate spheroid is 0.6 ± 0.3.[2] Its surface is grey in color.[2]
Desdemona may collide with one of its neighboring moons Cressida or Juliet within the next 100 million years.[9]
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