Ferdinand (moon)

Ferdinand is the farthest retrograde non-spherical moon of Uranus. It was found by Matthew J. Holman, John J. Kavelaars, Dan Milisavljevic, and Brett J. Gladman on August 13, 2001 and given the designation S/2001 U 2.

Ferdinand

Discovery
Discovered by	Matthew J. Holman John J. Kavelaars Dan Milisavljevic Brett J. Gladman
Discovered in	August 13, 2001
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius	20,901,000 km
Eccentricity	0.3682
Orbital period	2887.21 d
Inclination	170° (to the ecliptic)[1]
Is a moon of	Uranus
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	~20 km (estimate)[1]
Surface area	~1300 km2 (estimate)
Volume	~4000 km3 (estimate)
Mass	~1.3×1015 kg (estimate)
Mean density	~1.5 g/cm3 (estimate)
Surface gravity	~0.0025 m/s2 (estimate)
Escape velocity	~0.0055 km/s (estimate)
Rotation period	?
Axial tilt	?°
Albedo	0.04 (assumed)[1]
Surface temp.	min mean max ~65 K (estimate)
Atmospheric pressure	0 kPa

Despite being seen again on September 21 and November 15 and even a year later on August 13 and September 5, 2002, it was eventually lost. It was finally refound on September 24, 2003 by Scott S. Sheppard on images taken by David C. Jewitt and himself on August 29-30 and September 20 of that year. Confirming observations were made by Holman on September 30.

Designated Uranus XXIV it was named after the son of the King of Naples in William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

Orbit

Retrograde non-spherical moons of Uranus.

Ferdinand is the farthest known moon of Uranus. It follows a retrograde, fairly inclined but very eccentric orbit. The diagram illustrates the orbital parameters of the retrograde non-spherical moons of Uranus (in polar co-ordinates) with the eccentricity of the orbits represented by the segments extending from the pericentre to the apocentre.

Related pages

• List of Uranus' moons