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Uranus
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MAIN MOONS: Oberon
Titania
Umbriel
Ariel
Miranda
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TITANIA
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· Your travel guide to the Solar System ·
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DEFINITION
Titania is the largest of Uranus's moons.
REASONS TO VISIT
- See a huge crater the size of southern England
- Visit the deep canyons up to 1,600 km (1,000 miles) long
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WHAT TO SEE
Titania is made mostly of rock and water ice.
Deep canyons
Titania is covered in deep canyons. Astronomers think these may be evidence that the moon was once hot enough to be a huge ball of liquid.
As the world began to freeze, the surface may have solidified first. As the core froze it would have expanded, breaking the surface apart above it.
'Gertrude' Crater
This impressive, multi-ringed crater covers an area the size of southern England. It was named after the Queen of Denmark in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Unusual orbit
The planet Uranus is tipped on its side and rolls around its path. So its moons also orbit at right angles to the plane of the Solar System.
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TRAVEL INFORMATION
Before you leave
Unless you want to use large quantities of fuel to change your velocity, make sure Titania is crossing the plane of the other planets during your journey.
LOCAL HISTORY
Many moons of Uranus are named after characters from Shakespeare. Titania was named after the queen of the fairies in A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Discovery
Titania was discovered in 1787 by the astronomer William Herschel.
SPOTTING TITANIA FROM THE EARTH
Titania can be seen as a tiny speck through powerful Earth-based telescopes.
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