Voyager 2 Images December 1985 to January 1986 Revealed 11 New Moons

Summary: Images taken by Voyager 2 interstellar and planetary space probe in December 1985 and January 1986 revealed 11 new satellites in the Uranian system.

depiction of Voyager 2 spacecraft's 1986 approach of side-spinning ice giant Uranus, by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeologic Studies and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space artist Don Davis (Donald E. Davis; born Oct. 21, 1952); original image dated on or before Friday, Jan. 24, 1986; image credit NASA / JPL / Don Davis: Public Domain, via The Planetary Society

Images obtained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Voyager 2 robotic interstellar and planetary spacecraft in December 1985 and January 1986 revealed 11 new inner satellites orbiting the icy seventh planet from the sun, Uranus.

The Voyager 2 space probe undertook an observational encounter with the Uranian system from Monday, Nov. 4, 1985, to Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1986. The expedition qualified Voyager 2 as "the first, and so far the only, spacecraft to explore Uranus, the second to last stop on its journey through the outer solar system," as described by John Uri, NASA Johnson Space Center's History Office manager, in "35 Years Ago: Voyager 2 Explores Uranus," posted Jan. 22, 2021, on the NASA website. NASA's Voyager Science Imaging Team received more than 7,000 images from the historic flyby.

Characters from plays by Elizabethan poet William Shakespeare (bapt. April 26, 1564-April 23, 1616) and from "The Rape of the Lock" by Enlightenment era poet, satirist and translator Alexander Pope (May 21, 1688-May 30, 1744) inspire the names of the Uranian system's satellites, according to "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers" on the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) U.S. Geological Survey-managed Gazeteer of Planetary Nomenclature website. Additionally, the IAU has assigned Roman numerals as systemic designations to 27 satellites in the Uranian system.

Ten Shakespearean plays and "The Rape of the Lock" eponymize the 11 new Uranian satellites imaged by Voyager 2. The 11 Voyager 2-imaged inner Uranian satellites namesake nine female characters and one male character from Shakespearean plays and one female character from "The Rape of the Lock."

Puck qualifies as the first inner Uranian satellite imaged by Voyager 2. Its temporary designation, S/1985 U1, indicates its status as the first Uranian satellite discovered in 1985. Puck bears the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XV, abbreviated UXV. As the only one with a male name among the 11 Voyager 2-imaged Uranian satellites, Puck namesakes the mischievous male sprite in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

Portia's temporary designation of S/1986 U1 indicates its position as the first Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Portia holds the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XII, abbreviated UXII. Portia's name recalls the female lead character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice."

Juliet's temporary designation of S/1986 U2 reflects its placement as the second Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Juliet has the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XI, abbreviated UXI. Juliet's name honors the female lead character in Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."

As the third Uranian satellite discovered in 1986, Cressida has been assigned the temporary designation of S/1986 U3. Cressida is identified with the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus IX, abbreviated UIX. Cressida namesakes the lead female character in Shakespeare's "Troilus and Cressida."

As the fourth Uranian satellite discovered in 1986, Rosalind has received the temporary designation of S/1986 U4. Rosalind has been assigned the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XIII, abbreviated UXIII. Rosalind's name remembers the female lead character in Shakespeare's "As You Like It."

"Discovery Image of Satellite 1986 U 10 of Uranus, Erich Karkoschka, University of Arizona, May 1999, Image Taken by Voyager 2 on January 23, 1986," image taken Thursday, Jan. 23, 1986, by Voyager 2 spacecraft's narrow-angle camera shows 10 Voyager 2-imaged new inner Uranian satellites; (upper to lower right edge) 1986 U10 (Perdita), Belinda, Bianca, Juliet; (left to right lower edge) Portia, Cressida, Ophelia, Rosalind; (upper to lower left edge) Desdemona, Cordelia; image credit Voyager 2, NASA, Erich Karkoschka (U. Arizona): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The temporary designation of S/1986 U5 indicates Belinda's sequencing as the fifth Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Belinda identifies with the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XIV, abbreviated UXIV. Belinda's name derives from the female lead character in Pope's "The Rape of the Lock."

As the sixth Uranian satellite discovered in 1986, Desdemona carries the temporary designation of S/1986 U6. Desdemona's systemic Roman numeral designation is Uranus X, abbreviated UX. Desdemona namesakes the tragic lead female character in Shakespeare's "Othello" (full name: "The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice").

The temporary designation of S/1986 U7 enumerates Cordelia as the seventh Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Cordelia associates with the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus VI, abbreviated UVI. Cordelia, the youngest of three daughters in Shakespeare's "King Lear," inspires the satellite's name.

Ophelia's temporary designation of S/1986 U8 reveals its placement as the eighth Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Ophelia is identified with the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus VII, abbreviated UVII. Ophelia's name connects with the tragic female character in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" (full title: "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark").

Bianca's position as the ninth Uranian satellite discovered in 1986 occasioned its temporary designation of S/1986 U9. Bianca is enumerated with the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus VIII, abbreviated UVIII. Bianca's name borrows from the name of the sister of lead female character Katherine in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

Perdita's temporary designation of S/1986 U10 indicates its rank as the 10th Uranian satellite discovered in 1986. Perdita bears the systemic Roman numeral designation of Uranus XXV, abbreviated as UXXV. Perdita (Latin: "lost") references the lead female character who is abandoned by and then reunited with her father, King Leontes of Sicily, in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale." The Shakespearean name appropriately inspired the satellite's name. The satellite was missed in Voyager 2 images dating back to Saturday, Jan. 18, 1986. Then the faint satellite was discovered Tuesday, May 18, 1999, under the scrutiny of seven Voyager 2 images by American planetary scientist Erich Karkoschka. Subsequently, the Internationational Astronomical Union (IAU) denied its satellite status, as of Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2001, due to a lack of information. Finally, its recovery occurred via images obtained Monday, Aug. 25, 2003, by the High Resolution Channel (HRC) of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS).

The 11 Voyager 2-imaged inner satellites orbit among the ninth through 13th outermost rings in the Uranian system. The Uranian system's 13 inner satellites and 13 rings are confined by the orbit of Miranda, the innermost and smallest of the system's major moons.

Eight of the 11 Voyager 2-imaged inner Uranian satellites belong to the nine-member Portia Group, headed by and named for Portia as the group's largest member. Belinda, Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Perdita and Rosalind represent the seven other Voyager 2-imaged members of the Portia Group. Cordelia, Ophelia and Puck number as the three Voyager 2-imaged Uranian satellites that are not included in the Portia Group. The Portia Group's ninth member is Cupid (S/2003 U2; Uranus XXVII, abbreviated UXXVII), discovered, not in Voyager 2 images, but instead via Hubble Space Telescope images obtained Monday, Aug. 25, 2003. The Portia Group exhibits orbital and photometric similarities, as identified and named by Erich Karkoschka, Perdita's discoverer, in "Comprehensive Photometry of the Rings and 16 Satellites of Uranus with the Hubble Space Telescope," published in the May 2001 issue of Icarus.

The Voyager 2 members of the Portia Group experience orbital eccentricity variations caused by perturbations from other group members, as reported by American planetary astronomer Richard G. French, American astrophysicist Rebekah I. (Ilene) Dawson and American planetary astronomer Mark R. Showalter in "Resonances, Chaos, and Short-Term Interactions Among the Inner Uranian Satellites" and published in the April 2015 issue of The Astronomical Journal.. Subsets of Voyager 2-imaged Portia Group members comprise Cressida with Bianca, Desdemona with Cressida, Portia with Desdemona, and Portia with Juliet. Belinda interacts with Perdita and also with non-Voyager 2-imaged, Portia Group member Cupid.

The 11 new Uranian satellites imaged by the Voyager 2 space probe share discovery dates in December 1985 and January 1986. December 1985 images yielded one discovery, with Puck's appearance in images obtained Monday, Dec. 30, 1985.

The other 10 new Uranian satellites revealed during the spacecraft's historic flyby appeared in images obtained in January 1986. Portia and Juliet were imaged Friday, Jan. 3, 1986. Rosalind, Belinda and Desdemona were found in Monday, Jan. 13, 1986, images. Perdita was included in seven images that were taken Saturday, Jan. 18, 1986. Cordelia and Ophelia were discerned in images obtained Monday, Jan. 20, 1986. Bianca's discovery emerged from images taken Thursday, Jan. 23, 1986.

The Uranian system currently comprises 28 satellites. Scott Sander Sheppard (born Feb. 19, 1977), an American astronomer with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, DC, discovered the system's 28th satellite on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The outer satellite, which has a diameter of 8 kilometers and an orbital period of 680 days, has received the temporary designation of S/2023 U1, according to "New moons of Uranus and Neptune announced," posted as Breaking News Feb. 23, 2024, on the Carnegie Institution of Science website.

"When the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus in 1986, .2"; credit Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI): Public Domain, via NASA PDS (Planetary Data System) Ring-Moon Systems (RMS) Node

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

depiction of Voyager 2 spacecraft's 1986 approach of side-spinning ice giant Uranus, by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeologic Studies and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space artist Don Davis (Donald E. Davis; born Oct. 21, 1952); original image dated on or before Friday, Jan. 24, 1986; image credit NASA / JPL / Don Davis: Public Domain, via The Planetary Society @ https://www.planetary.org/space-images/voyager-at-uranus"

"Discovery Image of Satellite 1986 U 10 of Uranus, Erich Karkoschka, University of Arizona, May 1999, Image Taken by Voyager 2 on January 23, 1986," image taken Thursday, Jan. 23, 1986, by Voyager 2 spacecraft's narrow-angle camera shows 10 Voyager 2-imaged new inner Uranian satellites; (upper to lower right edge) 1986 U10 (Perdita), Belinda, Bianca, Juliet; (left to right lower edge) Portia, Cressida, Ophelia, Rosalind; (upper to lower left edge) Desdemona, Cordelia; image credit Voyager 2, NASA, Erich Karkoschka (U. Arizona): Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uranus'_Satellite_1986_U10_Discovery_Image.jpg; via Internet Archive Wayback Machine @ https://web.archive.org/web/20000815092629/http://science.opi.arizona.edu/pics/disc2.jpg

"When the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus in 1986, .2"; credit Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI); Public Domain, via NASA PDS (Planetary Data System) Ring-Moon Systems (RMS) Node @ https://pds-rings.seti.org/uranus/viewspace/page20.html (image URL); https://pds-rings.seti.org/uranus/viewspace/ (gallery URL)

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