Prospero is a relatively small
retrograde irregular satellite
In astronomy, an irregular moon, irregular satellite or irregular natural satellite is a natural satellite following a distant, inclined, and often eccentric and retrograde orbit. They have been captured by their parent planet, unlike regular s ...
of
Uranus
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Its name is a reference to the Greek god of the sky, Uranus ( Caelus), who, according to Greek mythology, was the great-grandfather of Ares (Mars), grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter) and father of ...
discovered on 18 July 1999 by the
astrophysicist Matthew Holman and his team, and given the provisional designation S/1999 U 3. Confirmed as Uranus XVIII it was named after the sorcerer
Prospero
Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''.
Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...
in
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's play ''
The Tempest''.
![Prospero discovery image](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Prospero_discovery_image.gif)
The orbital parameters suggest that it may belong to the same dynamic cluster as
Sycorax and
Setebos, suggesting common origin.
However, this suggestion does not appear to be supported by the observed colours. The satellite appears neutral (grey) in
visible light
Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 te ...
(
colour indices B-V=0.80, R-V=0.39), similar to Setebos but different from Sycorax (which is light red).
See also
*
Uranus' natural satellites
*
Irregular satellite
In astronomy, an irregular moon, irregular satellite or irregular natural satellite is a natural satellite following a distant, inclined, and often eccentric and retrograde orbit. They have been captured by their parent planet, unlike regular s ...
s
References
*
*
External links
Prospero Profileb
NASA's Solar System Exploration(by
Scott S. Sheppard
Scott Sander Sheppard (born 1977) is an American astronomer and a discoverer of numerous moons, comets and minor planets in the outer Solar System.
He is an astronomer in the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution for Scie ...
)
MPC: Natural Satellites Ephemeris Service
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prospero (Moon)
Moons of Uranus
Irregular satellites
19990718
Moons with a retrograde orbit