Pluto Has a Surprising Similarity to The 5 Biggest Moons of Uranus

Science Alert ^ | 15 Sep, 2020 | MICHELLE STARR

[MtnClimber]

Uranus, far from Earth in the darker region of the Solar System's planetary reach, isn't alone. It's accompanied by a retinue of moons - 27, to be precise. Far and dim, these moons are difficult to study, but astronomers have made an accidental discovery while observing Uranus.

According to infrared images of the five main moons of Uranus, their composition is closer to that of dwarf planets like Pluto and Haumea - compact, rocky objects with an icy crust - than the more fluffy composition of the smaller Uranian moons.

Uranus orbits the Sun at an average distance around 20 times that of Earth. We haven't sent many spacecraft out that far - only NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft has had a close encounter with Uranus, back in 1986 on its way to the edge of the Solar System and beyond.

Apart from those Voyager 2 observations, our study of the planet and its satellites has relied on telescopes closer to home - on Earth, and in Earth's orbital vicinity. That makes the moons very challenging to see; they're much smaller and reflect much less sunlight than Uranus, so they get outshone to the point of invisibility.

"The moons, which are between 500 and 7,400 times fainter, are at such a small distance from Uranus that they merge with the similarly bright artifacts," said astronomer Gábor Marton of Konkoly Observatory in Hungary. "Only the brightest moons, Titania and Oberon, stand out a little from the surrounding glare."

[Kriggerel]

I swear that journalists are sometimes the most puerile of all writers, and I say this as someone, who has written more than his share of puerile material. :P

[xp38]

Not too far off from Amy I’d say.

[Scrambler Bob]

Similar to my 5 biggest moons, huh?

How do they know?

Must be Govt. tracking.

[far sider]

In order to eliminate crude jokes like these, they will someday change the planet’s name. In the future it will be called Urectum.

[Honest Nigerian]

Article authored by Starr. Too many coincidences:

[olepap]

Greatest astronomical mistake: Naming that planet Uranus.

[Oatka]

Isn’t this basically part of Velikovsky’s hypothesis? Though I think he speculated that Pluto was a former moon of Saturn rather than Uranus.

Zach Sitchin also said something similar - Niburu entered our solar system and spanged the outer planets around like billiard balls.

[DariusBane]

Niburu spanged Uranus? Oh dear.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks MtnClimber.

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pluto escaped moon of neptune

Google

[SunkenCiv]

• Links to Uranus topics: How to See Uranus Without a Telescope This Week [09/11/2020]

[SunkenCiv]

• Study of Uranus Suggests Some of its Moons are on a Collision Course [2018]
• We Might Have Just Discovered 2 Dark Moons Hidden Near Uranus [2017]
• Neptune may have eaten a planet and stolen its moon [2010]
• Uranus moons seen overtaking each other for first time [2007]
• The Second Ring-Moon System of Uranus: Discovery and Dynamics [2006]
• Hubble discovers new rings and moons around Uranus [2005]
• Hubble spots Uranus' moons, rings [2005]
• Moongazing reveals the chaotic world of Uranus [2005]
• Two more rings discovered around Uranus [2005]
• Tiny Moons Discovered at Uranus [2003]
• Hubble Spots Two Tiny Uranian Moons [2003]

[DoodleBob]

As is typical on articles about Uranus, I'd like to ask you one last time. Conduct yourselves with the utmost maturity.

[BatGuano]

Urectum? Yes, that will eliminate something,(other than crude jokes.)