Uranus’ Moon Miranda
Uranus’ moon Miranda — Miranda is the smallest and innermost of Uranus’ major moons. Discovered in 1948 by Gerard Kuiper, it roughly half water ice with the remainder being divided between silicate rock and methane-related organic compounds.
Miranda’s surface is criss-crossed by huge canyons up to 12 miles deep, with patchwork regions of broken terrain indicating intense geological activity in the moon’s past.
It is thought that this activity is likely powered by tidal forces from Uranus, but another theory suggests that Miranda was at some point struck by a massive object that partially shattered the moon.
—–
Discovery
Discovered by Gerard Kuiper
Discovered in 1948
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius 129,872 km
Eccentricity ~0.0013
Orbital period 1.413479d
Inclination 4.34�
Physical characteristics
Equatorial diameter 471.6 km
Surface area km2
Mass 6.59�1019 kg
Mean density 1.20 g/cm3
Surface gravity 0.079 m/s2
Rotation period ?
Axial tilt ?�
Albedo 0.34
—–