Ariel: Moon of Uranus
Abbie T.
Ariel is a moon of Uranus. It is the 12th moon and the 4th largest. It was found in 1851 by William Lassell, a British astronomer. This moon of Uranus was named after a spirit in a Shakespeare play.
Ariel is the youngest moon of Uranus. They know this because it has smaller craters than the others. The surface of Ariel is is about half water ice and the rest rock. It is also very bright, and is even brighter when you are between it and the sun. Ariel have many long rift valley with smooth floors. It also has flat smooth plains from cryo-volcanism. This is an eruption of water ice, methane, and ammonia. Ariel has no detectable atmosphere or magnetic field. The surface temperature changes fast, depending on where the sun is.
Ariel's rotational period and orbital period are 2.5 Earth days. Its takes 84 days to orbit the sun. Ariel is close to the Titania but Titania is 35% bigger.
Ariel // One of Uranus' Moons
Works Cited
"Ariel." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Universe Above. N.p., 2015. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.
"Ariel." The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago, IL: World Book, 2009. N. pag. Print.
Hamilton, Calvin J. "Ariel, a Moon of Uranus." Views of the Solar System. N.p., 2009. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.