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Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus
New Scientist.com ^
| 22 December 2005
| Kelly Young
Posted on 12/23/2005 5:29:16 AM PST by msnimje
New orbital data on two moons of Uranus and two rings suggest the seventh planet may be a more chaotic place than thought.
The two new moons, dubbed Cupid and Mab, were discovered in 2003 using the Hubble Space Telescope and archived images from the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Since then, the moons' discoverers, Mark Showalter of the SETI Institute and Jack Lissauer of NASA Ames Research Center, both in California, US, have refined the orbits of the moons and spotted two previously undetected dust rings.
“To me, the exciting part of this discovery is the fact that there were these faint outer rings that previously escaped detection,” says Richard French, an astronomer at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, US, who studies the dynamics of planetary rings.
The finds bring the number of Uranian moons to 27 and the rings to 12. Cupid orbits a mere 863 kilometres from a larger moon, Belinda, making them the solar system’s closest pair of orbiting satellites that do not share the same orbit.
“That really makes Cupid a sitting duck for being the next satellite of Uranus to disappear,” Showalter told New Scientist. Only a tiny change in its orbit is needed for it to collide with Belinda, and that is possible within a million years.
~snip~
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientistspace.com ...
TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: astronomy; moonsofuranus; ringarounduranus; ringsarounduranus; uranus
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As does some Mexican Food!
1
posted on
12/23/2005 5:29:17 AM PST
by
msnimje
To: msnimje; snarks_when_bored
Yeah, who thought up this title anyway?
2
posted on
12/23/2005 5:30:31 AM PST
by
grey_whiskers
(The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
To: msnimje
Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus
I bet thats heard allot in gay bath houses
3
posted on
12/23/2005 5:31:44 AM PST
by
sure_fine
(*not one to over kill the thought process*)
To: msnimje
I'm a little uncomfortable with people paying to much attention to Uranus, or my.......
4
posted on
12/23/2005 5:32:21 AM PST
by
keithtoo
(Leftists/Democrats - Traitors, Haters and Vacillators)
To: msnimje
Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus Way too easy.
Comment #6 Removed by Moderator
To: msnimje
7
posted on
12/23/2005 5:35:01 AM PST
by
verity
(The MSM is a National disgrace.)
To: msnimje
"Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus" OK, see, this type of headline is what I live for!
8
posted on
12/23/2005 5:36:44 AM PST
by
Mad Dawgg
("`Eddies,' said Ford, `in the space-time continuum.' `Ah,' nodded Arthur, `is he? Is he?'")
To: msnimje
Another d*mn article about the film Brokeback Mountain?
9
posted on
12/23/2005 5:36:55 AM PST
by
ikka
To: grey_whiskers
"Pooper Held as Probe Widens"
10
posted on
12/23/2005 5:37:00 AM PST
by
B-Chan
(Catholic. Monarchist. Texan. Any questions?)
To: msnimje
11
posted on
12/23/2005 5:37:47 AM PST
by
badpacifist
(Schadenfreude)
To: ikka
LOL!! Moongazing Gay Shepherds!
12
posted on
12/23/2005 5:39:25 AM PST
by
msnimje
(Political Correctness -- An OFFENSIVE attempt not to offend.)
To: Recovering Hermit
Way too easy. I refuse to take the bait.
Analway, that's all I have to say.
13
posted on
12/23/2005 5:40:32 AM PST
by
Focault's Pendulum
(I'm not a curmudgeon!!!! I've just been in a bad mood since '73)
To: msnimje
"Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus"
I keep telling Mrs. Exile just to enjoy the "natural gas heating" that Taco Bell food provides.
14
posted on
12/23/2005 5:40:55 AM PST
by
exile
(Exile - Helen Thomas tried to lure me into her Gingerbread House.)
To: verity
15
posted on
12/23/2005 5:41:17 AM PST
by
jigsaw
(God Bless Our Troops.)
To: Focault's Pendulum
Great Analysis of the situation.
16
posted on
12/23/2005 5:42:14 AM PST
by
msnimje
(Political Correctness -- An OFFENSIVE attempt not to offend.)
To: msnimje
Just so everyone knows. I gave my son a one year subscription to
New Scientist magazine. Drudge had linked to it a few times. He needed mag articles on the environment. I thought they had a few showing the lack of proof on global warming.
Well they have editorials by Jacques Chirac on the environment. They've devoted large sections to articles about religious fundamentalism (esp. Christian). There's a definite bent that's environmental wacko. And in the back there are ads to scientific jobs including our own government agriculture department.
To: msnimje
Great Analysis of the situation. Thanks. I do my best thinking in the bathroom.
18
posted on
12/23/2005 5:45:51 AM PST
by
Focault's Pendulum
(I'm not a curmudgeon!!!! I've just been in a bad mood since '73)
To: msnimje
The radio is broken
It don't work anymore...
19
posted on
12/23/2005 5:47:02 AM PST
by
real saxophonist
(The fact that you play tuba doesn't make you any less lethal. Semper Fi)
To: exile
But if you stay away from Taco Bell Uranus won't be so chaotic
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