The Solar System The Inner Planets The Outer Planets Inner and Outer Planets Compared Solar System Formation Table of Planets Solar System's Largest Objects Space A to Z Your Weight in Space Stars Galaxies The Milky Way
The Inner Planets The Sun Mercury Venus Earth Mars
The Outer Planets The Moon Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Dwarf Planets Ceres Pluto Haumea Makemake Eris Comets Small BODIES Halley Hale-Bopp Shoemaker-Levy Asteroids Meteors
Exploring Space The Space Shuttle Voyager Space Missions List Astronomy Famous Astronomers History of Astronomy Hubble Space Telescope James Webb Telescope
Space A to Z Your Weight in Space Useful Links Contact Us Bob the Alien on Facebook Bob the Alien on Twitter
Uranus Menu  

Desdemona, a moon of Uranus

Cressida
Desdemona
Juliet

Image of Uranus in infrared from Hubble Space Telescope. Image was taken on 28th July 1997, capturing clouds in the atmosphere of Uranus, its rings and 8 of its moons, including Desdemona. Image credit: NASA/JPL/STScI
Classification
Natural satellite of Uranus
Average distance from Uranus
62,700 km
38,960 miles
Diameter across equator
70 km
44 miles
Time to orbit Uranus
11 hours
Year of Discovery
1986
Origin of Name
Wife of Othello in Shakespeare's Othello: The Moor Of Venice (1603). Desdemona is deeply in love with her husband. Othello however, has his suspicions about Desdemona and is convinced that she loves someone else.

Desdemona is one of the 27 moons of Uranus. It is the fifth closest moon to orbit the planet, orbiting at an average distance of 62,700 kilometres (38,960 miles). Desdemona has a diameter of 70 kilometres (44 miles) and takes only 11 hours to complete an orbit of the planet.

Desdemona is classed as an inner regular prograde moon of Uranus. It travels around the planet in the same direction of the planet's rotation and is believed to have formed from materials spinning around the planet.

Desdemona is a a member of a group of Uranus' moons called the Portia group. The Portia group contains nine moons (Bianca, Cressida, Desdemona, Juliet, Portia, Rosalind, Cupid, Belinda and Perdita) which have similar appearances and characteristics. These moons may have unstable orbits which leads to the possibility that, at some point in the distant future, they could collide with each other, break up into pieces, form rings or crash into Uranus.


Why is Desdemona called Desdemona?

All moons of Uranus get their names from characters in plays written by William Shakespeare or a poem written by Alexander Pope. Desdemona is a major character in William Shakespeare's play Othello, written in 1603 or 1604.

In the play, Desdemona and Othello marry in secret and Desdemona is truly devoted to her husband. Othello is an army general and under his command is Iago, Othello's standard bearer. Although Othello trusts Iago, Iago has a deep hatred for Othello and he convinces Othello that Desdemona is unfaithful to him. Although Desdemona continually protests her innocence throughout the play, Othello doesn't believe her, and ends up killing her. After realising that he has been manipulated by Iago, Othello then kills himself.

Desdemona is also designated as S/1986 U 6 or Uranus X.


Cressida
Desdemona
Juliet
Twitter X logo Facebook logo Email icon
© 2000 - 2024 SULTANA BARBECUE