When did William Herschel discover Oberon?
William Herschel discovered Oberon on the 11th of January 1787 while observing Uranus from his private observatory in Slough, England. He found it during the same morning he also discovered Titania.
Questions about Oberon (moon)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What is the origin of the name Oberon for this moon?
John Herschel named Oberon after the King of Fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. This naming convention applied to all major moons of Uranus and was suggested in 1852 following a request from William Lassell.
How far does Oberon orbit from Uranus and what is its orbital period?
Oberon orbits at a distance of about 584,000 kilometers from Uranus as the farthest among the five major moons. It completes one revolution every 13.5 days which matches its rotation period exactly.
Does Oberon have a liquid ocean beneath its surface?
A liquid ocean might exist at the boundary between rock and ice if ammonia acts as antifreeze within the interior. Such an ocean could extend up to forty kilometers thick with temperatures hovering near 180 Kelvin close to the eutectic point of water-ammonia mixtures.
When did Oberon pass in front of Umbriel during a mutual occultation event?
One such event lasted six minutes on the 4th of May 2007 when Oberon passed in front of Umbriel. These cycles create extreme seasonal variations unlike any other system in our solar neighborhood due to equinox occurring every forty-two years.