Caliban (moon of Uranus)
The 20th moon of Uranus in order from the planet. Caliban was discovered, together with Sycorax, on Sep. 6, 1997 by Brett J. Gladman, Philip D. Nicholson, Joseph A. Burns, and John J. Kavelaars using the 5-meter Hale Telescope and given the temporary designation S/1997 U1. It was later named after the dark character in Shakespeare's play The Tempest and is also known as Uranus XVI. Caliban is an irregular moon with a highly inclined, retrograde orbit. Like Sycorax, it has a reddish hue, suggesting it may have come from the Kuiper Belt.
| discovery |
1997, Gladman et al |
| orbit semimajor axis |
7,231,000 km (4,494,000 miles) |
| diameter |
~72 km (45 miles) |
| orbital period |
579.7 days |
| orbital eccentricity |
0.159 |
| orbital inclination |
140.9° |
| visual albedo |
0.04 (assumed) |
Related entry
Uranus, moons
Related category
PLANETS AND MOONS
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