Mab (moon)
Encyclopedia
Mab or Uranus XXVI (26), is an inner satellite
of Uranus
. It was discovered by Mark R. Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer
in 2003 using the Hubble Space Telescope
. It was named after Queen Mab
, a fairy queen from English folklore who is mentioned in William Shakespeare
's play Romeo and Juliet
.
Because the moon is small and dark, it was not seen in the heavily scrutinized images taken by Voyager 2
during its Uranus flyby in 1986. However, it is brighter than another moon, Perdita
, which was discovered from Voyager's photos in 1997. This led scientists to re-examine the old photos again, and the satellite was finally found
in the images.
The size of Mab is not known exactly. If it is as dark as Puck
, it is about 24 km in diameter. On the other hand, if it is brightly coloured like the neighbouring moon Miranda
, it would be even smaller than Cupid
and comparable to the smallest outer satellites.
Mab is heavily perturbed
. The actual source for perturbation is still unclear, but is presumed to be one or more of the nearby orbiting moons.
Mab orbits at the same distance from Uranus as the μ
ring (formerly known as R/2003 U 1), a recently discovered dusty ring
. The moon is nearly the optimal size for dust production, since larger moons can recollect the escaping dust and smaller moons have too small surface areas for supplying the ring via ring particle or meteoroid
collisions. No rings associated with Perdita and Cupid have been found, probably because Belinda
limits the lifetimes of dust they generate.
Following its discovery, Mab was given the temporary designation S/2003 U 1. The moon is also designated Uranus XXVI.
Inner satellite
In astronomy, an inner moon is a natural satellite following a prograde, low inclination orbit inwards of the large satellites of the parent planet. They are generally thought to have been formed in situ at the same time as the coalescence of the original planet...
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 Mark R. Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer
Jack J. Lissauer
Jack Jonathan Lissauer is an American research scientist who has worked for the NASA's Ames Research Center since 1996. He is a science co-investigator on the Kepler space telescope mission.-Biography:...
in 2003 using the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
. It was named after Queen Mab
Queen Mab
Queen Mab is a fairy referred to in Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. She also appears in other 17th century literature, and in various guises in later poetry, drama and cinema...
, a fairy queen from English folklore who is mentioned 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 Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
.
Because the moon is small and dark, it was not seen in the heavily scrutinized images taken by Voyager 2
Voyager 2
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is a 722-kilogram space probe launched by NASA on August 20, 1977 to study the outer Solar System and eventually interstellar space...
during its Uranus flyby in 1986. However, it is brighter than another moon, Perdita
Perdita (moon)
Perdita is an inner satellite of Uranus. Perdita's discovery was complicated. The first photographs of Perdita were taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986, but it was not recognized from the photographs for more than a decade. In 1999, the moon was noticed by Erich Karkoschka and reported...
, which was discovered from Voyager's photos in 1997. This led scientists to re-examine the old photos again, and the satellite was finally found
Photo Recovery
Photo recovery is the process of salvaging digital photographs from damaged, failed, corrupted, or inaccessible secondary storage media when it cannot be accessed normally...
in the images.
The size of Mab is not known exactly. If it is as dark as Puck
Puck (moon)
Puck is an inner moon of Uranus. It was discovered in December 1985 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The name Puck comes from Celtic mythology and English folklore. The orbit of Puck lies between the rings of Uranus and the first of Uranus' large moons, Miranda. Puck is approximately spherical in...
, it is about 24 km in diameter. On the other hand, if it is brightly coloured like the neighbouring moon Miranda
Miranda (moon)
-External links:* at * at The Nine8 Planets* at Views of the Solar System* * from the...
, it would be even smaller than Cupid
Cupid (moon)
Cupid is an inner satellite of Uranus. It was discovered by Mark Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer in 2003 using the Hubble Space Telescope. It was named after a character in William Shakespeare's play Timon of Athens....
and comparable to the smallest outer satellites.
Mab is heavily perturbed
Perturbation (astronomy)
Perturbation is a term used in astronomy in connection with descriptions of the complex motion of a massive body which is subject to appreciable gravitational effects from more than one other massive body....
. The actual source for perturbation is still unclear, but is presumed to be one or more of the nearby orbiting moons.
Mab orbits at the same distance from Uranus as the μ
Rings of Uranus
The planet Uranus has a system of rings intermediate in complexity between the more extensive set around Saturn and the simpler systems around Jupiter and Neptune. The rings of Uranus were discovered on March 10, 1977, by James L. Elliot, Edward W. Dunham, and Douglas J. Mink...
ring (formerly known as R/2003 U 1), a recently discovered dusty ring
Planetary ring
A planetary ring is a ring of cosmic dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region.The most notable planetary rings known in Earth's solar system are those around Saturn, but the other three gas giants of the solar system possess ring systems of their...
. The moon is nearly the optimal size for dust production, since larger moons can recollect the escaping dust and smaller moons have too small surface areas for supplying the ring via ring particle or meteoroid
Meteoroid
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite...
collisions. No rings associated with Perdita and Cupid have been found, probably because Belinda
Belinda (moon)
- External links :* by *...
limits the lifetimes of dust they generate.
Following its discovery, Mab was given the temporary designation S/2003 U 1. The moon is also designated Uranus XXVI.
External links
- Hubble Uncovers Smallest Moons Yet Seen Around Uranus – Hubble Space Telescope news release (25 September 2003)
- Hubble Discovers Giant Rings and New Moons Encircling Uranus – Hubble Space Telescope news release (22 December 2005)
- Mab + Ring diagram (Courtesy of Astronomy Magazine 2005)
- 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...
)
