All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Umbriel (moon) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.
Umbriel (moon) facts for kids
Umbriel as seen by Voyager 2 in 1986
|
|||||||||
| Discovery | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discovered by | William Lassell | ||||||||
| Discovery date | October 24, 1851 | ||||||||
| Names | |||||||||
| How to say it | /ˈʌmbriəl/ UM-bree-əl | ||||||||
| Other names | Uranus II | ||||||||
| Adjective | Umbrielian | ||||||||
| Orbit | |||||||||
| Longest distance from the center of its orbital path ("semi-major axis") |
266 000 km | ||||||||
| How long it takes to complete an orbit | 4.144 d | ||||||||
| Angle above the reference plane ("inclination") |
0.128° (to Uranus's equator) | ||||||||
| What it orbits | Uranus | ||||||||
| Size and other qualities | |||||||||
| Average radius | 584.7 ± 2.8 km (0.092 Earths) | ||||||||
| Surface area | 4 296 000 km2 (0.008 Earths) | ||||||||
| Volume | 837 300 000 km3 (0.0008 Earths) | ||||||||
| Mass | 1.172 ± 0.135 × 1021 kg (2 × 10−4 Earths) | ||||||||
| Average density | 1.39 ± 0.16 g/cm3 | ||||||||
| Surface gravity | 0.2 m/s2 (~ 0.023 g) | ||||||||
| Escape velocity | 0.52 km/s | ||||||||
| Rotation period | presumed synchronous | ||||||||
| Angle at which it turns (in relation to its orbit) |
0 | ||||||||
| How much light it reflects |
|
||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Seeming brightness ("apparent magnitude") |
14.5 (V-band, opposition) | ||||||||
| Atmosphere | |||||||||
| Pressure | zero | ||||||||
Umbriel is a moon of Uranus found on October 24, 1851 by William Lassell. It was found at the same time as Ariel.
Physical characteristics
So far the only close-up images of Umbriel are from the Voyager 2 probe, which made observations of the moon during its Uranus flyby in January, 1986. During the flyby the southern hemisphere of the moon was pointed towards the Sun so only it was studied.
Umbriel's surface is the darkest of the Uranian moons, and reflects only about half as much light as Ariel, Uranus' brightest moon. It has far more and bigger craters than do Ariel and Titania and is also the least geologically active. It is mostly made of water ice, with the balance made up of silicate rock, and other ices such as methane. Methane can break down and form reddish-black organic compounds such as tholins when bombarded by high-energy particles. Near-IR spectra of Ariel and Umbriel clearly show that water ice dominates the spectra of these objects.
Craters
Craters on Umbriel are named after many different demons from various mythologies.
| Crater | Named after |
|---|---|
| Alberich | Alberich (Norse) |
| Fin | Fin (Danish) |
| Gob | Gob (Pagan) |
| Kanaloa | Kanaloa (Polynesian) |
| Malingee | Malingee (Australian Aboriginal mythology) |
| Minepa | Minepa (Makua people of Mozambique) |
| Peri | Peri (Persian) |
| Setibos | Setebos (Patagonian) |
| Skynd | Skynd (Danish) |
| Vuver | Vuver (Finnish) |
| Wokolo | Wokolo (Bambara people of West Africa) |
| Wunda | Wunda (Australian Aboriginal mythology) |
| Zlyden | Zlyden (Slavic) |
Images for kids
-
Map of Umbriel showing polygons
-
The Voyager 2 spacecraft