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Uranus
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MAIN MOONS: Oberon
Titania
Umbriel
Ariel
Miranda
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UMBRIEL
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· Your travel guide to the Solar System ·
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DEFINITION
Umbriel is a moon that orbits the planet Uranus.
REASONS TO VISIT
- Visit the most cratered moon around Uranus
- See one of the darkest worlds in the Solar System
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WHAT TO SEE
Umbriel is made mostly of rock and water ice. Its dark colour is due to methane frozen near the moon's surface. Why it is so much darker than other Uranian moons remains a mystery.
Umbriel's craters
Unlike other large Uranian moons, the surface of Umbriel has remained unchanged since the early times of the Solar System. As a result, the ground is littered with craters from asteroid impacts.
One crater is particularly startling, as it is much lighter than the surrounding area.
SPOTTING UMBRIEL FROM THE EARTH
Umbriel is one of the darkest objects in the Solar System. But it's visible from the Earth with the aid of a large telescope. Through a telescope it looks like a faint star.
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TRAVEL INFORMATION
Before you leave
Because the path of the moons is at right angles to the movement of the rest of the planets, you'll need to plan your arrival on Ariel well.
Unless you want to use large quantities of fuel to change your velocity, it's best to make sure that Umbriel is crossing the plane of the other planets when you arrive.
LOCAL HISTORY
Umbriel was named after a character from Alexander Pope's poem The Rape of the Lock.
Discovery
Umbriel was discovered by William Lassel in 1851.
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