Stephano (moon)
Encyclopedia
Stephano is a retrograde irregular satellite
of Uranus
. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman
, et al. in 1999, and given the provisional designation S/1999 U 2.
Confirmed as Uranus XX, it was named after the drunken butler in William Shakespeare
's play The Tempest on 2000 August.
The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong to the same dynamic cluster as Caliban
, suggesting common origin.
Irregular satellite
In astronomy, an irregular moon is a natural satellite following a distant, inclined, and often eccentric and retrograde orbit. They are believed to have been captured by their parent planet, unlike regular satellites, which form in situ....
of Uranus
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. It has the third-largest planetary radius and fourth-largest planetary mass in the Solar System. It is named after the ancient Greek deity of the sky Uranus , the father of Cronus and grandfather of Zeus...
. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman
Brett J. Gladman
Brett J. Gladman is a Canadian astronomer and a full professor at the University of British Columbia's Department of Physics and Astronomy in Vancouver, British Columbia. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Planetary Astronomy.-Career:...
, et al. in 1999, and given the provisional designation S/1999 U 2.
Confirmed as Uranus XX, it was named after the drunken butler in William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play The Tempest on 2000 August.
The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong to the same dynamic cluster as Caliban
Caliban (moon)
Caliban is the second largest retrograde irregular moon of Uranus. It was discovered on 6 September 1997 by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J...
, suggesting common origin.
External links
- Stephano Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
- David Jewitt pages
- Uranus' Known Satellites (by Scott S. SheppardScott S. SheppardScott S. Sheppard is an astronomer in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Science. Starting as a graduate student at the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii, he was credited with the discovery of many small moons of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and...
) - MPC: Natural Satellites Ephemeris Service