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Miranda (moon)

Miranda

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Discovery
Discovered byGerard Kuiper
Discovered in1948
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius129,872 km
Eccentricity~0.0013
Orbital period1.413479d
Inclination4.34°
Is a satellite ofUranus
Physical characteristics
Equatorial diameter471.6 km
Surface area km2
Mass6.59×1019 kg
Mean density1.20 g/cm3
Surface gravity0.079 m/s2
Rotation period?
Axial tilt
Albedo0.34
Surface temp
minmeanmax
K86°KK
Atmospheric pressure0 kPa

Miranda is the smallest and innermost of Uranus' major moonss. 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.

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