Earth and Space News: discoveries nine Uranian irregular moons

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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Prospero, Setebos and Stephano Were Recovered May, June and August 2000

Summary: Prospero, Setebos and Stephano were recovered May, June and August 2000, within 10 months to one and one-half years of their July 18, 1999, discovery.

Recovery observations of S/1999 U 1 (Setebos) and S/1999 U 3 (Prospero) were achieved June 2000 at the La Palma's Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) in the Canary Islands; June 2001: Bob Tubbs, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Prospero, Setebos and Stephano were recovered May, June and August 2000, within 10 months to one and one-half years of their July 18, 1999, discovery as the third, fourth and fifth irregular satellites in the Uranian system.

S/1999 U 1, S/1999 U 2 and S/1999 U 3 were discovered via the 3.5-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) on the Big Island of Hawai’i. The discoveries were credited to J.J. (John J. “JJ”) Kavelaars of McMaster University; B. (Brett) Gladman of Observatoire de la Cote d’Azur (OCA); M. (Matthew) Holman of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA); and J.-M. (Jean-Marc) Petit and H. (Hans) Scholl of OCA. The discoveries were announced by Brian G. (Geoffrey) Marsden, director of the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (CBAT), via IAUC (International Astronomical Union Circular) no. 7230, dated July 27, 1999.

Recovery observations were accomplished for the trio of Uranian irregular satellites. IAUC 7447, dated July 3, 2000, credited CCD recovery images of S/1999 U 3, obtained May 27 to May 29, to co-discoverers Holman, Gladman and Kavelaars via the 3.8-meter Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak and June 28 CCD recovery images to co-discoverer Holman, in collaboration with T. Grav, N. Haug and K.B. Klepper, via La Palma’s 2.5-meter Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). IAUC 7450, dated July 8, 2000, reported recovery of S/1999 U 1 June 28 and June 29 by co-discoverer Matthew Holman, in collaboration with T. (Tommy) Grav, N. Haug and K.B. Klepper, via the 2.5-meter Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT) at Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, La Palma, northwestern Canary Islands. IAUC 7473, dated Aug. 5, 2000, announced successful recovery of S/1999 U 2 Aug. 3 by co-discoverer Gladman via the 3.6-meter reflector and CCD at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla Observatory in northern Chile and Aug. 5 by co-discoverer Holman via the 3.5-meter Canada-France-Hawaii reflector and CCD at the Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO).

IAUC 7479, dated Aug. 21, 2000, reported the approval of permanent designations and names for the three “1999 satellites of Uranus.” Approval validated the irregulars as the third, fourth and fifth discoveries of irregular satellites in the Uranian system. The IAU made the approvals at the international astronomical association’s XXIVth (24th) General Assembly, held Monday, Aug. 7, to Friday, Aug. 18, 2000, in Manchester, United Kingdom.

S/1999 U 3 received the permanent designation of Uranus XVIII, reflecting its status as the 18th discovered Uranian satellite. Its permanent name of Prospero, namesaking a character in “The Tempest,” conforms with the convention of naming Uranian satellites after characters in Alexander Pope’s “Rape of the Lock” and in William Shakespeare’s plays. In “The Tempest,” Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, was banished to sea, along with his toddler daughter, Miranda, by his usurping brother, Antonio, and shipwrecked on a remote island.

Uranus XIX and Setebos were approved as the permanent designation for S/1999 U 1. The 19th discovered Uranian satellite’s name of Setebos references a demonic god in “The Tempest.”

Uranus XX and Stephano became the permanent designation for S/1999 U 2. Stephano, the King of Naples’ drunken butler in “The Tempest,” inspired the name for the 20th discovered Uranian satellite.

The irregular satellite trio’s detection occurred one year 10 and one-third months after the Sept. 7, 1997, discovery of the first two irregular satellites, Caliban (Uranus XVI; S/1997 U 1) and Sycorax (Uranus XVII; S/1997 U 2), in the Uranian system. The discovery of the first two irregular satellites motivated the successful search for the third, fourth and fifth irregulars, according to the discoverers’ report, “The Discovery of Uranus XIX, XX, and XXI,” published in the September 2000 issue of Icarus.

The takeaways from the May, June and August 2000 recovery observations of Uranian moons Prospero, Setebos and Stephano are that the successful recoveries allowed for confirmation of S/1999 U 1, S/1999 U 2 and S/1999 U 3 as the third, fourth and fifth irregular satellite discoveries in the Uranian system and for the approval of permanent designations (Uranus XIX, Uranus XX, Uranus XXI, respectively) and names for the trio; and that the trio’s five discoverers credited the Sept. 7, 1997, discovery of the first two Uranian irregulars for motivating their successful July 18, 1999, search.

Recovery observations of S/1999 U 2 (Stephano) were conducted August 2000 via the 3.6-meter reflector at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) La Silla Observatory in northern Chile; exterior of La Silla's 3.6-meter reflector, March 31, 2010: ESO, CC BY 4.0 International, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

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Burns, Joseph A.; and Mildred Shapley Matthews, eds. Satellites. Space Science Series. Tucson AZ: University of Arizona Press, Nov. 1, 1986.

Gladman, B. (Brett); JJ (John J.) Kavelaars; M. (Matthew) Holman; J-M (Jean-Marc) Petit; H. (Hans) Scholl; P. (Philip) Nicholson; and J.A. (Joseph Arthur) Burns. “The Discovery of Uranus XIX, XX, and XXI.” Icarus, vol. 147, issue 1 (September 2000): 320-324.
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Grav, Tommy; and Matthew J. Holman. “Photometry of Irregular Satellites of Uranus and Neptune.” The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 613 (Sept. 20, 2004): L77-L80.
Available @ https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/424997/pdf

Green, Daniel W.E. “Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7479. Aug. 21, 2000.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07400/07479.html

International Astronomical Union (IAU) / U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. ““Uranian System.” USGS Astrogeology Science Center > Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature > Nomenclature > Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers.
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Marriner, Derdriu. “Caliban and Sycorax Orbit With Respectively Low and High Eccentricity.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 20, 2011.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/07/caliban-and-sycorax-orbit-with.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Nine Irregular Uranian Moons Were Discovered Between 1997 and 2003.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 6, 2011.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/07/nine-irregular-uranian-moons-were.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Uranian Irregular Moons Caliban and Sycorax Were Discovered Sept. 6, 1997.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 13, 2011.
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Marriner, Derdriu. “Uranian Moons Prospero, Setebos and Stephano Were Discovered July 1999.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, July 27, 2011.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2011/07/uranian-moons-prospero-setebos-and.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “William Herschel Discovered First Two Uranian Moons on Jan. 11, 1787.” Earth and Space News. Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011.
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Marsden, Brian G. “Probable New Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7230. July 27, 1999.
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Marsden, Brian G. “Probable New Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7248. Sept. 4, 1999.
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Marsden, Brian G. “S/1999 U 1, S/1999 U 2 and S/1999 U 3.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7385. March 24, 2000.
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Marsden, Brian G. “S/1999 U 2.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7473. Aug. 5, 2000.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07400/07473.htm

Marsden, Brian G. “S/1999 U 3.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7447. July 3, 2000.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07400/07473.html

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Nemiroff, Robert; and Jerry Bonnell. “Irregular Moons Discovered Around Uranus.” NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Nov. 3, 1997.
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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Nine Uranian Irregular Moons Were Discovered Between 1997 and 2003

Summary: Nine Uranian irregular moons were discovered between 1997 and 2003 via Palomar, Mauna Kea and Cerro Tololo observatories.

graphic of nine irregular Uranian satellites, discovered between 1997 and 2003; Thursday, July 27, 2006, 23:06, plotted by a program written by User:Eurocommuter: Eurocommuter, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Nine irregular Uranian moons were discovered between 1997 and 2003 as the sideways planet’s most distant, eccentric and inclined satellites revealed themselves to observatories in California, Hawaii and Chile.

Until the discoveries of the first two irregular Uranian satellites, Uranus appeared to be the only one of the solar system’s four giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) to lack irregular satellites. Irregular satellites are also known as distant satellites, irregular moons or irregular natural satellites.

Planetary satellites primarily are classified as collisional debris, irregular satellites or regular satellites, according to Cornell University planetary scientist Joseph A. Burns in Satellites, which he co-edited with University of Arizona Space Science series editor Mildred Shapley Matthew (Feb. 15, 1915-Feb. 11, 2016) in 1986. He points out, however, that profiles of Earth’s moon, Neptune’s Triton and Pluto’s Charon exclude them from this classification scheme.

Collisional debris, or shards, often occur adjacently to their planets. Irregular satellites reside distantly from their planets as occupants of the outer reaches of planetary gravitational spheres of influence. Irregular satellites present eccentric, elongated, inclined orbits that suggest their capture by their primary bodies. Regular satellites trace circular orbits and occupy planes that approximately coincide with the equatorial planes of their primary bodies.

The discoveries of S/1997 U 1 and of S/1997 U 2 from frames obtained Sept. 6, 1997, established Uranus as congruent with fellow giants Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune in possessing irregular satellites. The frames were obtained by the California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech) Palomar Observatory in northern San Diego County’s Peninsular Ranges. Brett James Gladman of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, Philip David Nicholson and Joseph Arthur Burns of Cornell University, and John J. “JJ” Kavelaars of McMaster University are credited as discoverers of S/1997 U 1 and S/1997 U 2, officially known since 2000 as Caliban and Sycorax, respectively.

The second set of irregular Uranian satellite discoveries occurred on July 18, 1999, via images obtained by the Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO) on the Big Island of Hawai’i. John J. Kavelaars of McMaster University, Brett J. Goldman of Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur (OCA), Matthew J. Holman of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and Jean-Marc Petit and Hans Scholl of OCA are credited with discovering a set of three irregular satellites, S/1999 U 1, S/1999 U 2 and S/1999 U 3, officially known since 2000 as Prospero, Setebos and Stephano, respectively.

The third set of irregular Uranian satellite discoveries happened Aug. 13, 2001, via images obtained by the Cerro Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO) in northern Chile. Matthew J. Holman of Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), John J. “JJ” Kavelaars of Dominion Astrophysical Observatory and Dan Milisavljevic of McMaster University are credited with discovering S/2001 U 1, officially known since 2003 as Trinculo. Teams led by Matthew J. Holman and Brett J. Goldman are credited with discovering S/2001 U 2, now known as Ferdinand. Holman, Kavelaars, Milisavljevic and Gladman are credited with discovering S/2001 U 3, now known as Francisco.

S/2003 U 3 was discovered as the ninth irregular Uranian moon on Aug. 29, 2003, via images obtained by the Mauna Kea Observatories. Scott Sander Sheppard of the University of Hawaii and David Clifford Jewitt are credited with the discovery of S/2003 U 3, now known as Margaret.

The takeaways from the discoveries of nine irregular Uranian moons between 1997 and 2003 are that, prior to the discoveries, Uranus distinguished itself from fellow planetary giants Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune by an absence of irregular satellites and that the discoveries were made by observatories in California, Hawaii and Chile.

graphic of eight of the nine irregular Uranian satellites that lie beyond Oberon, the outermost major moon in the Uranian system; Monday, Aug. 21, 2006, 16:14, plotted by a program written by User:Eurocommuter: Eurocommuter, CC BY SA 3.0 Unported, via Wikimedia Commons

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Burns, Joseph A.; and Mildred Shapley Matthews, eds. Satellites. Space Science Series. Tucson AZ: University of Arizona Press, Nov. 1, 1986.

Cornell Chronicle. “'Irregular' Satellites S/1997 U1 and S/1997 U2 Discovered With Palomar Mountain’s 5-Meter Hale Telescope.” Cornell University > Stories. Oct. 31, 1997.
Available @ http://news.cornell.edu/stories/1997/10/planet-uranus-has-two-more-moons-cornell-and-canadian-astronomers-find

Grav, Tommy; and Matthew J. Holman. “Photometry of Irregular Satellites of Uranus and Neptune.” The Astrophysical Journal, vol. 613 (Sept. 20, 2004): L77-L80. Available @ https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/424997/pdf

Green, Daniel W.E. “S/2001 U 1.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7980. Sept. 30, 2002.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07900/07980.html

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Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08100/08177.html

Green, Daniel W.E. “Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7479. Aug. 21, 2000.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07400/07479.html

Green, Daniel W.E. “Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 8648. Dec. 29, 2005.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/08600/08648.html

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Planets

Johnston, William Robert. “List of IAU Preliminary Designations of Natural Satellites.” Johnston’s Archive > Astronomy and Space.
Available @ http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/moonlist.html

Levy, David H. Skywatching. Revised and updated. San Francisco CA: Fog City Press, 1994.

Marsden, Brian G. “S/1997 U 1.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 6870. April 7, 1998.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/06800/06870.html

Marsden, Brian G. “S/1997 U 2.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 6869. April 7, 1998.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/06800/06869.html

Marsden, Brian G. “Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 6764. Oct. 31, 1997.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/06700/06764.html

Marsden, Brian G. “Satellites of Uranus.” Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams > IAU Circular No. 7132. March 27, 1999.
Available @ http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/07100/07132.html

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Nemiroff, Robert; and Jerry Bonnell. “Irregular Moons Discovered Around Uranus.” NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). Nov. 3, 1997.
Available @ https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap971103.html