A Photometric Investigation of the Major Uranian Satellites

Abstract

The Uranian system is one of the most unusual in the Solar System and its formation and evolution are poorly understood. Voyager 2 revealed that the major satellites have complex geologic features, including craters, fault systems, and chasmata. The Uranian system has been understudied and current knowledge is limit by a lack of data. The 2023-2032 decadal survey ranked a flagship NASA mission to Uranus, with a required launch window of the early 2030s, as a top priority. Further study is urgently needed, both scientifically and to inform mission planning. We conducted a photometric study, primarily using MIT’s Wallace Astrophysical Observatory, and report the lightcurves of Titania and Oberon in the Sloan g’, r’, and i’ filters. Further observations from larger telescopes are needed, but these data may indicate that ice on both Titania and Oberon has redistributed since the Voyager epoch.