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Science Astronomy Moons of Uranus

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Astronomy: Moons of Uranus

The satellites (moons) of Uranus are all named after Shakespeare characters – except for the two or three (see below) that are named after characters from Pope's The Rape of the Lock.

The first two, discovered by the German–born British astronomer William Herschel in 1787 – just six years after he discovered Uranus itself – were named after characters from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (Titania and Oberon). The next two, discovered in 1851 by the English amateur astronomer William Lassell, were named after characters in The Rape of the Lock (Ariel and Umbriel) – except that Ariel also appears in The Tempest.  The fifth was discovered in 1948 by the Dutch–American astronomer Gerard P. Kuiper, and named after another character from The Tempest (Miranda).

Only these five were known until the visit of the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1986.  Voyager sent back news of ten more moons, and these were named after various Shakespeare characters – except Belinda, which (somewhat perversely) was named after the wronged heroine of The Rape of the Lock.  The next five (discovered in the late 1990s) were all named after characters from The Tempest.

This custom of naming Uranus' moons after Shakespeare (and Pope) characters makes them perfect for quiz questions.  For example: "Which moon of Uranus, discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, is named after a character in Shakespeare's Hamlet?"

See below for the answer.

This page lists the 20 that were known in 2001.  They are listed in order of orbit, starting with the closest to the planet.

The last time I checked (July 2015) Uranus had 27 known moons. But I don't think there's much point in listing any more – in reality, the only ones you're likely to get asked about in quizzes are the five largest ones (the ones that were known before 1986).

Radius (km) Discovered Character appears in Description of character Name
The following were discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft:
131986King LearDaughter to Lear Click to show or hide the answer
151986HamletDaughter to Polonius Click to show or hide the answer
211986OthelloMistress to Cassio Click to show or hide the answer
331986Troilus and CressidaDaughter to Calchas (a Trojan priest) Click to show or hide the answer
271986OthelloDaughter to Brabantio, and wife to Othello Click to show or hide the answer
421986Romeo and Juliet
(Measure for Measure)
Daughter to Capulet
(Beloved of Claudio)
Click to show or hide the answer
541986The Merchant of Venice
(Julius Caesar)
A rich heiress
(Wife to Brutus)
Click to show or hide the answer
271986As you like itDaughter to the (unnamed) banished duke Click to show or hide the answer
331986The Rape of the LockThe wronged heroine Click to show or hide the answer
771986A Midsummer Night’s Dreamor Robin Goodfellow Click to show or hide the answer
The following were discovered before 1986 (from Earth) and are the five largest:
233–2411948The TempestDaughter of Prospero Click to show or hide the answer
577–5811851The Tempest
The Rape of the Lock
An airy spirit
The leader of the sylphs
Click to show or hide the answer
5851851The Rape of the LockA "dusky melancholy sprite" Click to show or hide the answer
7891787A Midsummer Night’s DreamQueen of the Fairies Click to show or hide the answer
7611787A Midsummer Night’s DreamKing of the Fairies Click to show or hide the answer
The following have been discovered since 1986:
~401997The TempestA savage and deformed slave Click to show or hide the answer
1997The TempestA witch, and mother of Caliban Click to show or hide the answer
1999The TempestCharacter who enslaves Ariel Click to show or hide the answer
1999The TempestShip’s butler Click to show or hide the answer
1999The TempestThe right Duke of Milan Click to show or hide the answer

© Haydn Thompson 2017