When was Ariel moon of Uranus discovered and who discovered it?
Ariel was discovered on the 24th of October 1851 by the British astronomer William Lassell. He found it on the same night as Umbriel, another Uranian moon.
Questions about Ariel (moon)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How did Ariel moon of Uranus get its name?
John Herschel suggested the name in 1852 at Lassell's request. Ariel is named after the leading sylph in Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock and also after the spirit who serves Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest.
What spacecraft visited Ariel and what did it find?
Voyager 2 flew past Ariel in January 1986, approaching within 127,000 km. It photographed roughly 40% of the moon's surface, revealing extensive canyons, ridged terrain, and smooth plains that appear geologically young.
Does Ariel moon of Uranus have a subsurface ocean?
Scientific research concludes that an active subsurface ocean is probable for Ariel and the other three largest Uranian moons. An April 2025 study estimated that such an ocean could have been as deep as 170 km, sustained by tidal heating when Ariel's orbit was more eccentric.
What is Ariel moon of Uranus made of?
Ariel has a density of 1.52 g/cm3, indicating it is composed of roughly equal parts water ice and rocky material. Its surface also shows carbon dioxide and traces of ammonia detected by infrared spectroscopy.
How long is the longest canyon on Ariel moon of Uranus?
Kachina Chasma, the longest canyon on Ariel, stretches over 620 km in length. It extends into the hemisphere that Voyager 2 was unable to photograph in illuminated conditions.