Encyclopedia > Miranda (moon)
Miranda (moon)
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| Discovery | |||||||
| Discovered by | Gerard Kuiper | ||||||
| Discovered in | 1948 | Orbital characteristics | |||||
| Mean radius | 129,872 km | ||||||
| Eccentricity | ~0.0013 | ||||||
| Orbital period | 1.413479d | ||||||
| Inclination | 4.34° | ||||||
| Is a satellite of | Uranus | ||||||
| Physical characteristics | |||||||
| Equatorial diameter | 471.6 km | ||||||
| Surface area | km2 | ||||||
| Mass | 6.59×1019 kg | ||||||
| Mean density | 1.20 g/cm3 | ||||||
| Surface gravity | 0.079 m/s2 | ||||||
| Rotation period | ? | ||||||
| Axial tilt | ?° | ||||||
| Albedo | 0.34 | ||||||
| Surface temp. |
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| Atmospheric pressure | 0 kPa | ||||||
Miranda is the smallest and innermost of Uranus' major moons. Discovered in 1948 by Gerard Kuiper, it roughly half water ice with the remainder being divided between silicate rock and methane-related organic compounds. Miranda's surface is criss-crossed by huge canyons up to 12 miles deep, with patchwork regions of broken terrain indicating intense geological activity in the moon's past. It is thought that this activity is likely powered by tidal forces from Uranus, but another theory suggests that Miranda was at some point struck by a massive object that partially shattered the moon.
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