Key
¡
Inner moons
|
†
Major moons
|
‡
Irregular moons (retrograde) |
±
Irregular moon (prograde) |
The Uranian moons are listed here by orbital period, from shortest to longest. Moons massive enough for their surfaces to have collapsed into a spheroid are highlighted in light blue and bolded. The inner and major moons all have prograde orbits. Irregular moons with retrograde orbits are shown in dark grey. Margaret, the only known irregular moon of Uranus with a prograde orbit, is shown in light grey. The orbits and mean distances of the irregular moons are variable over short timescales due to frequent planetary and solar perturbations, therefore the listed orbital elements of all irregular moons are averaged over a 8,000-year numerical integration by Brozović and Jacobson (2009).[38] Their orbital elements are all based on the epoch of 1 January 2000 Terrestrial Time.[39]
Sources: NASA/NSSDC,[39] Sheppard, et al. 2005.[3] For the recently discovered outer irregular moons (Francisco through Ferdinand) the most accurate orbital data can be generated with the Minor Planet Center's Natural Satellites Ephemeris Service.[37] The irregulars are significantly perturbed by the Sun.[3]
|