1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Hey you, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. We 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: have another vault episode for you. This is going to 3 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: be The Moons of Uruana's Part two, which originally published 4 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,119 Speaker 1: on five eleven, twenty twenty three. This is part two 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: of three. Please enjoy. This is the uss Hamlet's Father's 6 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 1: Ghost requesting entry into Uranian orbit and the Uranian satellite system. 7 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: We have decelerated and seek clearance to Titanium. 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 2: Greetings, USS Hamlet's Father's Ghost. This is Mustard Seed. Can 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 2: you state the purpose of your visit? 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: Roger that Mustard Seed. I have two hundred and fifty 11 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: Shakespeare enthusiast on board, just waking up for a tour 12 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: of the Uranian Moons. Our visit to the Royal Automated 13 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: Uranian Theater on Titanius should be registered in the log. 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 2: All right, Roger that USSHFG. I can confirm your reservation 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 2: now and docking credentials are good to go with your passengers, 16 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 2: a pleasant and safe visit to the Uranian satellite system. 17 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: The next Automated Thespianoid performance will be let's see Ooh 18 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: Edward the third Well, better luck next time. 19 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 3: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. The production of iHeartRadio. 20 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 1: Hey you welcome to Stuff to blow your mind. My 21 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:25,920 Speaker 1: name is Robert. 22 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 2: Lamb and I'm Joe McCormick, and we're back with part 23 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 2: two of our series on the planet Uranus and its moons. Now, 24 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,919 Speaker 2: in part one we focused mainly on the planet itself. 25 00:01:38,000 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 2: This time we're going to start getting more into the moons. 26 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 2: Maybe we'll do all of the moons this time. I 27 00:01:43,800 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: think last time we promised it would happen. We'll see 28 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: whether we can fit it all into one episode. But 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 2: I had a few more core planet digressions burning a 30 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 2: hole in my pocket that I wanted to mention before 31 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: we fly off to the satellites. Are you okay with that, rob. 32 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: Let's do it. 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 2: So. First of all, I was wondering what's the density 34 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,120 Speaker 2: of Uranus, And it turns out that Uranus is the 35 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,119 Speaker 2: second least dense planet in the Solar System at one 36 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 2: point twenty seven grams per cubic centimeter. The only planet 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 2: less dense is actually Saturn, the second largest planet in 38 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: the Solar System. You might wonder which planet is the densest, Baby, 39 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: that's Earth. That's Earth. We are at five point five 40 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 2: to one grams per cubic centimeter, so we are the 41 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 2: density king. But one of the real things I wanted 42 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 2: to return to was a question of materials, because in 43 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 2: the last episode we mentioned, just giving sort of an 44 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: overview of the basics of the planet, that most of 45 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,799 Speaker 2: the mass of Uranus is thought to be a hot, 46 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 2: dense fluid of ices, probably surrounding a rocky core of 47 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 2: some sort. And though it might be kind of strange 48 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 2: to hear like hot dense fluid of ices, that almost 49 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 2: kind of doesn't make sense based on our definition of ice. 50 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 2: And it's true that a lot of this ice is 51 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: going to be different than the kind of ice we know. 52 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 2: So I was reading more about this in an article 53 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,920 Speaker 2: by a planetary atmospheric scientist named Amy Simon, who is 54 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 2: a senior researcher at NASA Goddard, and this was written 55 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 2: for the magazine of the Planetary Society. The article is 56 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 2: called the Realm of the Ice Giants, and one of 57 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,839 Speaker 2: the questions Simon addresses in this article is why are 58 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 2: the planets Uranus and Neptune called ice giants as opposed 59 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:35,080 Speaker 2: to regular gas giants. It's because compared to regular gas 60 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: giants like Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus and neptune are composed 61 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 2: of a higher proportion of ice forming molecules like water 62 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:47,200 Speaker 2: and methane, though much of that so called ice is 63 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 2: in a phase unfamiliar to us. On the surface of Earth, 64 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 2: Simon writes, quote, ice giants are mostly water, probably in 65 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 2: the form of a super critical fluid. The visible clouds 66 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:03,840 Speaker 2: likely consist of ice crystals with different compositions. So regarding 67 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 2: supercritical fluid, a supercritical fluid doesn't behave exactly like a liquid, 68 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 2: gas or a solid. It's an emergent state of matter 69 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 2: occurring at temperatures and pressures beyond what is known as 70 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,359 Speaker 2: the critical point for each substance. And Simon has a 71 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 2: very good paragraph clarifying the planetary science use of the 72 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 2: term ice, which could help clear up any confusion there. 73 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 2: She says that on Earth we usually use the term 74 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,000 Speaker 2: ice to refer to just water H two O when 75 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 2: it is frozen solid, but planetary astronomers use the word 76 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 2: ice to refer to any condensable molecule in its solid form. 77 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 2: She writes, quote, These tend to be highly reflective form clouds, 78 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 2: and unlike minerals, can readily change between liquid, solid and 79 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 2: gas states at relatively low temperatures, so we're mainly familiar 80 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: with water ice on the surf of Earth, but throughout 81 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:06,479 Speaker 2: space there are lots of ices. There's methane, ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, 82 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 2: and phosphene pH three, and these are all condensable molecules 83 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 2: and could all freeze in the atmosphere of Uranus and 84 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:18,839 Speaker 2: Neptune also for that matter, and Simon writes that most 85 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 2: of the clouds we see in the atmospheres of these 86 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:25,719 Speaker 2: ice giants are clouds of methane ice crystals or hydrogen 87 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 2: sulfide ice, So there's probably weird supercritical fluids down below, 88 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 2: and then an atmosphere above. The atmosphere in its gas 89 00:05:34,720 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 2: contents is mostly hydrogen and helium, but that atmosphere is 90 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,200 Speaker 2: probably full of traces of different kinds of ice, including 91 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 2: not just H two O, but things like ammonia and methane. 92 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:50,560 Speaker 2: And speaking of methane, as we mentioned last time, the 93 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:54,840 Speaker 2: blue color of both Neptune and Uranus appears to come 94 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 2: from the presence of methane in their atmospheres, which absorbs 95 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 2: the red wavelength of light from the sun and reflects 96 00:06:02,720 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 2: only the blue spectrum. But the question is why is 97 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: Urinus a paler shade of blue than Neptune. If you 98 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 2: look at Neptune, it's often kind of a royal blue, 99 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 2: whereas in true color, Urinus appears kind of a gray 100 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:20,480 Speaker 2: green blue. Simon writes that this is quote either because 101 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 2: Urinus has more haze, so more kind of a cloudy 102 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 2: outer shell, but she goes on, or because Neptune's atmosphere 103 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 2: has another unidentified constituent that absorbs longer wavelength light even 104 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 2: more strongly, and of course longer wavelength light would be 105 00:06:37,480 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 2: more red shifted toward the red end of the visible spectrum. Okay, 106 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,239 Speaker 2: so that's ice, the atmosphere, the makeup of the planet. 107 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 2: But there's one more thing you may have seen headlines 108 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,240 Speaker 2: about regarding Urinus in Neptune that if you have seen 109 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: these headlines, I'm sure you're wondering about it, and that 110 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 2: is the claim that some experts have argued that it 111 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:02,159 Speaker 2: likely rains diamonds on Urine Neptune, and from what I 112 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 2: can tell, this is true. Now, this is obviously something 113 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 2: we haven't been able to detect directly with probes or anything, 114 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 2: so nobody can sense this happening. Instead, it's based on 115 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,160 Speaker 2: what we do know about the planets and argue and 116 00:07:17,200 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 2: sort of extrapolating logically from those starting facts. So how 117 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,720 Speaker 2: does the logic go? Well, I was reading about this 118 00:07:23,840 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 2: in an article for space dot com by the sunny 119 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 2: Stonybrook astrophysicist Paul Im Sutter, and in this article, Sutter 120 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: explains that we know from mathematical models that the inner 121 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,920 Speaker 2: mantles of ice giants probably have temperatures of about seven 122 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 2: thousand kelvins or over sixty seven hundred celsius and pressure 123 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 2: about six million times the atmospheric pressure on the surface 124 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 2: of Earth. Meanwhile, higher up in the mantle, things are 125 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,400 Speaker 2: cooler about two thousand kelvins and only two hundred thousand 126 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,920 Speaker 2: times Earth's atmospheric pressure. And we know that water, ammonia, 127 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 2: and methane are present within that mantle. So what happens 128 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 2: to those substances in those conditions. Well, these conditions of 129 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 2: temperature and pressure would tend to tear apart molecules of methane, methane, 130 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 2: is ch four carbon, and hydrogen. And when those molecules 131 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 2: get torn apart, we are left with free carbon. Free 132 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: carbon tends to link together with other free carbon to 133 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 2: form long chains of carbon what happens to long chains 134 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:36,080 Speaker 2: of pure carbon under high pressure that gets pressed into 135 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 2: a diamond. These diamonds would tend to then drop down 136 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:44,080 Speaker 2: to lower in the mantle where high temperatures vaporize them, 137 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:47,040 Speaker 2: and then they float back up into the upper mantle, 138 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 2: and then the cycle repeats, so you're left with diamond rain. 139 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,680 Speaker 2: Sounds like the name of a great alternate universe collaborative 140 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: sci fi movie musical between Prince and David Bowie. Wish 141 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 2: I could have seen it, but it does to be 142 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 2: very likely a physical reality on Uranus and Neptune as well. 143 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: So you're saying that all we have to do is 144 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: jet out to Uranus, dip down into the atmosphere of Uranus, 145 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,520 Speaker 1: scoop up some diamonds, then get back to Earth and 146 00:09:16,559 --> 00:09:17,559 Speaker 1: we're set for life. 147 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 2: I've always said when I look up at the stars 148 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:25,160 Speaker 2: at night, what I see is profit. Okay, but one 149 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 2: more digression before we get to the moons. Since part one, 150 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,480 Speaker 2: we actually got a really great bit of listener mail 151 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 2: from Joe, not me, but a different Joe who listens 152 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 2: to the show, who brought to our attention some really 153 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 2: awesome photos of Uranus recently captured by the James web 154 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 2: Space Telescope. Joe writes, quote, I've long awaited with tremulous 155 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 2: anticipation the resumption of your ural journey to the heliopause, 156 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,520 Speaker 2: and was thrilled to see the recumbent sky king Uranus 157 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 2: on my podcast feed. Your choice was timely, indeed, as 158 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:00,560 Speaker 2: the James Webb Space Telescope just last month least some 159 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: spectacular visuals of Uranus. These images boast greater clarity than 160 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 2: the Hubble's effort, especially of the planet's rings. I love 161 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 2: living under a sky that will never run out of 162 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,960 Speaker 2: extraordinary things to look at and talk about, and I 163 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 2: appreciate when you cast your gaze upward from time to time. Joe, Well, 164 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,720 Speaker 2: thank you, Joe. Because I had not seen these, I 165 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:24,320 Speaker 2: looked them up and this is fantastic. So I saw 166 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:28,080 Speaker 2: these within the context of a NASA press release from 167 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 2: April sixth, twenty twenty three that Joe shared with us 168 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 2: Rob I pasted these two photos here in the outline. 169 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 2: One is just zoomed in on the planet from the 170 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 2: more zoomed out second one. I would say, from my perspective, 171 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 2: these images are gorgeous. They fill one with awe at 172 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,679 Speaker 2: the picture of this frosty, dark recess where the blue 173 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 2: God lives. And this might sound a little bit weird, 174 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 2: but I actually mean this in the best possible way. Somehow, 175 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,920 Speaker 2: in these images, Urinus looks more like an optical artifact 176 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 2: than a physical object, as if the planet were like 177 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 2: a glint or a lens flare. And to explain what 178 00:11:08,320 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: I mean, so the planet is pictured on its side, 179 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 2: because of course that's how it is. We're not seeing 180 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 2: the rings laterally from the side, crossing over and behind 181 00:11:17,600 --> 00:11:20,760 Speaker 2: the planet, like we do in most photos of Saturn. Instead, 182 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,079 Speaker 2: we're seeing the rings encircling the planet in an egg 183 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 2: shape because we're looking roughly down toward the north pole, 184 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 2: which faces sideways. And in this particular photo, though this 185 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 2: is not exactly true color, the planet is pale blue 186 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 2: with a white cap, and the rings sort of fade 187 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 2: outward to inward, from a screaming fluorescent white to a 188 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 2: dim blue gray as they sink toward the planet's atmosphere. 189 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 2: And the sunlight seems blinding in these images because we 190 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 2: actually see it gleaming off the edge of the planet. 191 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 2: Which is even weirder because, as I said, the disk 192 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 2: of Urinus facing us looks like a glint or a 193 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 2: gleam itself, and in the more zoomed out of these 194 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: two photos, we can see the blue dots of the 195 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 2: larger moons surrounding it, also sending out these sort of 196 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 2: shafts of reflected light in these hexagonal criss crosses out 197 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 2: into space. 198 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, these images are gorgeous. It makes it look like. 199 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: Urinus is a planet designed by Japanese illustrator Hajimi Soriyama, whose, 200 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:28,560 Speaker 1: of course I think he worked on the design for 201 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:35,120 Speaker 1: the original Sony Aibo robot, but also mostly known for 202 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: robot pin up like really shiny, silvery robot pin up models. 203 00:12:42,160 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: This artist is on my mind because the movie we're 204 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: watching Friday in for Weird House Cinema, this artist is 205 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:51,520 Speaker 1: credited like deep down in the credits because there's a 206 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:53,480 Speaker 1: character in the movie that has some of this art 207 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 1: up on his workstation. But this kind of but there's 208 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: a certain from the female robot bodies in his art. 209 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,079 Speaker 1: There is this kind of like glimmering like silvery perfection 210 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: to things, And that's what I kind of get from 211 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: this image of Urinus. And if you're into planets, like 212 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,240 Speaker 1: I mean, put it on a calendar. It looks, it 213 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:16,359 Speaker 1: looks nice. 214 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,280 Speaker 2: It is beautiful, And I will say the blue in 215 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 2: this photo, as I alluded to, is not exactly true 216 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: color from the visible spectrum. I think it's approximate. So 217 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:28,720 Speaker 2: the image is from the webs near infrared camera, combining 218 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 2: data from two filters. According to the press release, it 219 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 2: was one point four and three point oh microns, and 220 00:13:35,800 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 2: then the article explains these are coded out to blue 221 00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 2: and orange respectively. Now I mentioned the white cap that 222 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 2: we see on Urinus in this photo. The article explains 223 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 2: that this is known as the polar cap, and it 224 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 2: seems to manifest when the pole of the planet goes 225 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 2: into direct sunlight during its long polar summer, which again, 226 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:00,680 Speaker 2: as we talked about last time, lasts many years at 227 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 2: a time, and then the cap seems to disappear in 228 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 2: the fall when it starts to turn away from the sun. 229 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,120 Speaker 2: As far as I could find, we aren't sure exactly 230 00:14:09,160 --> 00:14:11,520 Speaker 2: what causes this, or maybe if somebody knows, I just 231 00:14:11,559 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 2: didn't dig that up. But so regarding the beautiful rings 232 00:14:15,200 --> 00:14:19,600 Speaker 2: in the picture, Uranus has thirteen known rings, and you 233 00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 2: can see eleven of them in this photo, though some 234 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 2: of them are so bright that they bleed together. In 235 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 2: the image, there are nine major rings, and then there 236 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 2: are two kind of faint dusty rings that were discovered 237 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,280 Speaker 2: during the approach and Voyager two in nineteen eighty six. 238 00:14:34,760 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 2: But speaking of those rings and moons, rings and moons 239 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 2: sometimes have an interesting origin story, So I was wondering 240 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:45,840 Speaker 2: where do experts generally think they came from in the 241 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 2: case of Uranus. Going back to that Planetary Society article 242 00:14:49,320 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: by Amy Simon, Simon writes that the medium sized moons 243 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 2: of Uranus probably formed in place at the same time 244 00:14:57,760 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 2: or after whatever event it was that left Uranus tilted 245 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 2: on its side. And as we talked about last time, 246 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 2: it seems likely that Uranus was probably knocked on its 247 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 2: side and left colder than all the other planets because 248 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 2: of an impact with a large object, maybe like an 249 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 2: Earth sized planet, billions of years ago. And so what 250 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 2: we're left with is that the moon's orbit Urinus on 251 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,120 Speaker 2: its equatorial plane, So like the planet itself and like 252 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 2: its rings, the moons are tilted at a roughly ninety 253 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 2: degree angle to the rest of the Solar System. In general, 254 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 2: the moons of Urinus are made of ice and rock, 255 00:15:36,560 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 2: usually slightly more ice than rock, and they show some 256 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 2: interesting surface features, like patterns of darkening on their surfaces 257 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:49,400 Speaker 2: that are caused by some unknown material. Spectral analysis reveals 258 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:52,600 Speaker 2: the presence of frozen carbon dioxide on a lot of 259 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:57,160 Speaker 2: the moons. Meanwhile, the origin of the rings, the consensus 260 00:15:57,160 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 2: seems to be that they are created by the shattering 261 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:06,800 Speaker 2: into dust and fragments of formerly solid moons. And as 262 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 2: we've seen with other planets, the sudden or gradual smash 263 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:13,480 Speaker 2: up of moons can happen a number of ways, by 264 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 2: you know, lots of little collisions with meteoroids or other objects, 265 00:16:17,920 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 2: or by tidal breakup due to gravity, in any case, 266 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 2: turning former larger satellites into smaller satellites and rings of 267 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 2: little fragments. 268 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's fascinating. How from our human perspective we look 269 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: up at our moon, we consider the moons of other worlds, 270 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: and there's a certain certain stability to them, you know. 271 00:16:38,040 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: But if you look at any planets, moons or moon, 272 00:16:44,840 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 1: generally you're looking at a more violent relationship over the 273 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:55,720 Speaker 1: vast history of a given planet. There's nothing peaceful about it. 274 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: All right, Well, let's begin, at least begin to dip 275 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 1: into the moons of Uranus. Like I said, we originally 276 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:11,919 Speaker 1: set out to do them all. Maybe we won't do 277 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:14,639 Speaker 1: them all. Maybe we'll get part way through the journey 278 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,360 Speaker 1: and we'll come back on Tuesday. Who knows, maybe we'll 279 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: just we'll just get into we'll finish them up, and 280 00:17:20,600 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: then we'll go right into Neptune. There are no rules. 281 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: We can do what we want. So let's start with 282 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: the inner moons of Uranus. Thirteen total known. All right, 283 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,600 Speaker 1: We're going to start with a pair of moons, Cordelia 284 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: and Ophelia. These are named for the youngest daughter of 285 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 1: King Lear and of course Hamlet's tragic beloved, respectively. The 286 00:17:43,640 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: main significance of these moons is that both Cordelia and 287 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: Ophelia are shepherd moons, as their gravity keeps Uranus's epsilon 288 00:17:52,320 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: ring from dispersing. 289 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 2: Now I thought this was interesting, so I was looking 290 00:17:56,520 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 2: up how exactly it is that shepherd moons work. What 291 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 2: does the shepherd moon do? These little small moons, how 292 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:08,440 Speaker 2: do they keep a ring? Essentially, they keep a ring 293 00:18:08,600 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 2: in tight formation around the planet and clear these gaps 294 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 2: between the rings. And it seems that essentially it works 295 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,880 Speaker 2: like this. So you've got a small moon and it's 296 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 2: orbiting the planet, And imagine at first it's orbiting the 297 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:26,880 Speaker 2: planet along with a bunch of other small particles sort 298 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 2: of within the lane of that small moon's orbit. Particles 299 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:35,640 Speaker 2: that are ahead of the small moon will be attracted 300 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 2: by gravity to it, meaning if they're orbiting ahead of it, 301 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 2: they will naturally want to slow down in their orbit, 302 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: right because they're getting pulled toward this moon. But slowing 303 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 2: down in their orbit actually causes them to lose energy 304 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:54,360 Speaker 2: and fall down closer to the planet that they're orbiting. 305 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 2: So these like dust and particles and things in the 306 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 2: ring actually end up sorting into lower orbit rings. And 307 00:19:03,720 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 2: then meanwhile, things that are orbiting along the same lane 308 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 2: as this moon that are behind it in its orbit 309 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:14,560 Speaker 2: are attracted to it and thus sped up. And as 310 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 2: they get sped up during to chase after this moon 311 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 2: by the force of gravity, that acceleration actually causes them 312 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:24,920 Speaker 2: to have greater energy and to ascend in their orbit 313 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 2: and end up going into outer rings beyond that little moon. 314 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:32,320 Speaker 1: So again we have the Shepherd moons here. They were 315 00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:36,199 Speaker 1: discovered by Voyager two in nineteen eighty six. Like the 316 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: rest of Uranus's inner moons. They appear to be roughly 317 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: equal split of water, ice and rock. They're small. Of 318 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:46,560 Speaker 1: note to Cordelia is the closest to the planet, and 319 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,879 Speaker 1: I guess we should also point out or come back 320 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:53,719 Speaker 1: to the fact that, yes, these are both Shakespearean references. 321 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,600 Speaker 1: There are going to be a lot of shakespeare references 322 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,880 Speaker 1: as we go through the moons of Uranus and these 323 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: just the first two. 324 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,640 Speaker 2: It seems that a lot of the names of these satellites, 325 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 2: for some reason were chosen either from the works of 326 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 2: Shakespeare or from the works of Alexander Pope. 327 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, predominantly Shakespearean, but definitely there's some key Alexander Pope 328 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:17,359 Speaker 1: references as well. So as as we go through it, 329 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,399 Speaker 1: we're we'll probably talk a little bit about some of 330 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:21,160 Speaker 1: the namesakes here. 331 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 2: Well, this was something I was wondering. I don't know 332 00:20:23,720 --> 00:20:26,919 Speaker 2: about the origin exactly, like what people had in mind 333 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:30,280 Speaker 2: when they were naming these, but so I think, like, 334 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 2: is there some significance to the innermost minor moon here 335 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:40,159 Speaker 2: being called Cordelia, Because Cordelia is a very poignant character. 336 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 2: Cordelia is the youngest daughter of King Lear in the 337 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 2: play King Lear. If you don't know the play or 338 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 2: need refreshing the very beginning of it. The first scene 339 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,280 Speaker 2: is King Lear is this old king? He comes out. 340 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,119 Speaker 2: He decides that he will divide up his kingdom between 341 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 2: his three daughters, Goneril, Reagan, and Cordelia, and he's gonna 342 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 2: give the largest portion to the daughter that loves him most. 343 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 2: So Goneril and Reagan give these speeches where they overwhelm 344 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,919 Speaker 2: their father with absurd insincere flattery about how much they 345 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 2: love him. And then when it's Cordelia's time to speak, 346 00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:19,879 Speaker 2: she finds that she cannot put into words. She cannot 347 00:21:19,960 --> 00:21:23,720 Speaker 2: express her love for her father to herself. She says 348 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 2: that she knows her love is richer than her tongue. 349 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:28,840 Speaker 2: And then when it's her time to speak, she says, 350 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 2: unhappy that I am. I cannot heave my heart into 351 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 2: my mouth. I love your majesty according to my bond, 352 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 2: no more nor less, and I think he gives her 353 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 2: a chance to amend her statement. She doesn't, really, and 354 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 2: the so Leir gets furious at this decides to disinherit her. 355 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,879 Speaker 2: He gives nothing to Cordelia, splits his kingdom between the 356 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 2: other two daughters, Goneril and Reagan who secretly think he 357 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:55,720 Speaker 2: is a fool, and they will go on to betray 358 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,640 Speaker 2: him once they come to power, And of course it's 359 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,199 Speaker 2: a tragedy, so things just get worse and worries. Basically 360 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,240 Speaker 2: everybody ends up dead. But you know, it's a very 361 00:22:04,280 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 2: meaningful character and something I think, I don't know that 362 00:22:07,400 --> 00:22:09,760 Speaker 2: that moment in the first scene is something that always 363 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 2: got me, something I can really relate to, like the 364 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 2: feeling of worrying that you don't express positive feelings because 365 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:22,320 Speaker 2: you're afraid that you can't phrase them in the sincerest way, 366 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 2: like you don't know how to put them to words. 367 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:26,680 Speaker 2: So then you worry that like you're perceived as not 368 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 2: wanting to say a positive thing at all. I don't 369 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:30,040 Speaker 2: know if that makes sense. 370 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: No, no, no, no, I mean certainly with the example 371 00:22:34,119 --> 00:22:36,679 Speaker 1: here from the play, absolutely. 372 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 2: But she's the daughter that truly loved him. She just 373 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,959 Speaker 2: you know, didn't want to give a big, insincere speech. Anyway, 374 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,040 Speaker 2: It's a very meaningful character. So I'm wondering, is there 375 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:48,480 Speaker 2: some similarly at play here in the selection of the 376 00:22:48,560 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 2: name for this moon? Maybe not so, Like it's a 377 00:22:50,640 --> 00:22:54,480 Speaker 2: very small satellite, it's the closest to the planet of these. 378 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 2: It is one of the shepherd moons that sort of 379 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 2: guide guides the epsilon and keeps it tight in formation. 380 00:23:02,720 --> 00:23:05,440 Speaker 2: By the end, I mean, she does show great discipline 381 00:23:05,480 --> 00:23:08,560 Speaker 2: because she comes back with an army to try to 382 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:13,200 Speaker 2: to fight on her father's side against her cruel, duplicitous sisters. 383 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 2: I don't know, maybe not, I don't know if it fits, 384 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 2: but I was wondering. 385 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: No, I think it's natural to try and read some 386 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: sort of sense into the naming. Though. Of course, as 387 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: we'll discuss it, it's different people at different times coming 388 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: up with these names. You know, some are maybe probably 389 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,760 Speaker 1: a little more up on the works of William Shakespeare 390 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 1: than others. Sometimes there seems like something they could be getting, 391 00:23:37,400 --> 00:23:40,320 Speaker 1: at other times not. And also some of these kind 392 00:23:40,359 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 1: of slip by on a technicality, so they're kind of 393 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: all over the place. All right, let's let's go into 394 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:50,600 Speaker 1: the next one. There's a Bianca named after Kate's sister 395 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: in the Taming of the Shrew. This one does nothing 396 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: really else that I think is significant about it, and 397 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 1: it was also discovered by voyager two. All right, after that, 398 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 1: we have Cresida. This is the title character from Troylus 399 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: and Cressida. Again, nothing other else. It's really significant about 400 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:10,879 Speaker 1: this moon. It was also discovered by Voyger two. I 401 00:24:10,880 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: know some of you are probably wondering when's Voyager six 402 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:13,960 Speaker 1: is going to show up in all this, But I 403 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: guess Voyder six just shot right out there, right. 404 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:20,320 Speaker 2: I was unsure. But what you're referring to vgre here? 405 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:24,199 Speaker 1: Right? Yes, yeah, Voyger six doesn't actually exist except in 406 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:27,679 Speaker 1: the world of Star Trek. Okay, specifically Star Trek the 407 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: motion picture, the most riveting of all of them, that 408 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: is pinned by Alan Dean Foster. 409 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 2: Oh wait, was he the one who wrote the novelization 410 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: of Halloween three or something like that? 411 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: He wrote the novelization of most films? Yes, all right. 412 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: The next moon of note here is Desdemona. This one's 413 00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: named after the wife of Othello, no other real significance, 414 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:56,200 Speaker 1: once again discovered by Voyager two. All right, now we're 415 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: moving on to another one. This is Juliet or Juliet 416 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: right if you're depending on how you're what line from 417 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: the play using sometimes you got to hit two syllables 418 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: instead of three on that. This is of course named 419 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,400 Speaker 1: after the title character from Romeo and Juliet. Romeo, meanwhile, 420 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: is nowhere to be found amid the moons of Uranus. 421 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: It is kind of interesting that there's a part in 422 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:21,560 Speaker 1: Romeo and Juliet where Romeo is swearing his love up 423 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 1: and down the universe and Juliet specifically asked him not 424 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:29,200 Speaker 1: to swear by the moon. She says, quote, oh, swear 425 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: not by the moon, the inconstant moon that monthly changes 426 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: in her circle orb less that thy love prove likewise. 427 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 2: Variable changes in her circle orb What does that refer 428 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:45,480 Speaker 2: to the waxing and waning of the moon or maybe 429 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:46,960 Speaker 2: I'm not sure I know what that means. 430 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 1: I mean I take it to mean, Yeah, it's like 431 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: there are different faces of the moon, Like like if 432 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:55,480 Speaker 1: your love is like the moon, Romeo, then I don't 433 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:57,160 Speaker 1: you know, it's like what am I going to get today? 434 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 1: I mean it seems like if it is like the moon, 435 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:01,440 Speaker 1: she could charted out and then she'd have a really 436 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,240 Speaker 1: good idea of what she's going to get, you know, 437 00:26:04,359 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 1: phase by phase. But yeah, she's like, I need consistency. 438 00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:11,160 Speaker 2: Right, your love should not wax and Wayne, we shouldn't 439 00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,400 Speaker 2: have a new moon of your love. Yes, it's were 440 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 2: Wolf night every night. 441 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:20,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, anyway, aside from these thoughts, Juliet, nothing else than 442 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,119 Speaker 1: literally significant, once again discovered by Voyger two. Then we 443 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:28,120 Speaker 1: have Portia. This one is named after the heroine from 444 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:31,000 Speaker 1: the Merchant of Venice. This one, I guess the main 445 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:33,720 Speaker 1: significance is that it orbits urin us in less than 446 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: one earth day, and it was discovered by Voyger two. 447 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,800 Speaker 1: All right. Up, next we have Rosalind. Rosalind is one 448 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,080 Speaker 1: of the Duke's daughters in As You Like It. That's 449 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: the namesake. Nothing else really significant to discuss here. This 450 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 1: one was also discovered by Voyager two. All right. The 451 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: next one is is Cupid. This one is a tough 452 00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 1: one to fit in, but okay. Cupid is, of course 453 00:27:07,560 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: the Roman god. 454 00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 2: Of love, famously invented by William Shakespeare. 455 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:20,880 Speaker 1: Well, he is technically a character in Shakespeare's Timon of Athens. 456 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,119 Speaker 1: I'm not familiar with this play. I don't know anything 457 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 1: about that one. This may be one of the more 458 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:28,040 Speaker 1: obscure ones. I don't remember studying this one in school. 459 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:32,240 Speaker 1: But the discovery of it is kind of interesting because 460 00:27:32,240 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 1: it was discovered by m R Showalter in JJ Lisauer 461 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: using the Hubble space telescope in two thousand and three. 462 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:43,520 Speaker 1: It was too small and too dark for Voyager two 463 00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,199 Speaker 1: to spot. And I was thinking about this. It's tempting 464 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 1: to try and spin this one out and think of like, Okay, 465 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: here we have Cupid as this dark, near invisible shadow 466 00:27:52,880 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: press presence, you know, reminding us of past discussions about 467 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 1: how Cupid was sometimes said to shoot lead and arrows. 468 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: So it's you know, he's not only dealing out love 469 00:28:02,720 --> 00:28:06,399 Speaker 1: with his projectiles, but also some of the ramifications of 470 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 1: love and maybe even the tragic ramifications of love. But again, 471 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: this one, this one seems to sort of slip by 472 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: on a on a technicality in terms of its naming. 473 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: All Right, the next one is Belinda. And this is 474 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: one where we have to just have to ask Shakespeare 475 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: to move over, because this one is named after the 476 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:31,840 Speaker 1: character whose lock of hair is stolen in Alexander Pope's 477 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 1: Rape of the Lock. 478 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 2: Now, this is an unfortunately titled poem because it doesn't 479 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:40,160 Speaker 2: mean what it sounds like that the poem by Pope 480 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 2: is an older definition of the word rape, which is basically, 481 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 2: in this context it means like theft or snatching. So 482 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 2: the poem is a mock heroic satire. It narrates like 483 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:55,280 Speaker 2: a social scandal in which a lord of some sort. 484 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: I did read this in school, and I forget a 485 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 2: lot of the details. But he like steals a lock 486 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 2: of hair from a young woman. But it's written like 487 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 2: in the style of the Iliad to be mocking of 488 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 2: the like oh ho ho, this is actually insignificant. I 489 00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:12,800 Speaker 2: think Pope's point is best summarized in one of its lines, 490 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 2: where he says, what mighty contests rise from trivial things? 491 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:20,640 Speaker 2: Though I don't know thinking back on it now, there 492 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,720 Speaker 2: are obviously much worse crimes, but stealing somebody's hair is 493 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 2: pretty weird. 494 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, Plus hair has magical connotations. They could be stealing 495 00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: it to work some sort of magic. Maybe that's explored 496 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: in the poem. I don't know. I have a degree 497 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: in English, and I somehow managed to never read this poem. 498 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:38,040 Speaker 1: I remember that, you know the course, I'm familiar with 499 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: the author's name and his popularity and importance in English literature. 500 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: But I remember this title would come up and I 501 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:48,280 Speaker 1: would think, Oh, that doesn't sound like something I want 502 00:29:48,280 --> 00:29:50,640 Speaker 1: to read, not realizing that it's about hair theft. 503 00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 2: Alexander Pope everything I recall that he wrote is basically 504 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:59,360 Speaker 2: satirical in nature. I'm sure he must have written serious poems. 505 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 2: But like, the other main thing I remember he wrote 506 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 2: is something called the Dunciad, which is a sort of 507 00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 2: an epic poem about stupidity. 508 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 1: Hmm. 509 00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 2: He was like, it seems like he was just really 510 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:14,440 Speaker 2: into not suffering fools. Though, I feel like, if that's 511 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:18,120 Speaker 2: your main vibe, you really open yourself up to to scrutiny, 512 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 2: don't you. 513 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, all right, well we'll come back to Pope's work 514 00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: in a bit, because there are more moons named after him. 515 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 1: The next one is Perdita, and this is the daughter 516 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: of Leontes and Hermione in William Shakespeare's The Winter's Tail. 517 00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 1: This one's discovery is actually pretty interesting because Voyger two 518 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,400 Speaker 1: is involved in its discovery, but it wasn't recognized till 519 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 1: two thousand and three. Basically, University of Arizona's Eric Karkoshka 520 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:51,400 Speaker 1: discovered it by comparing Voyger two imagery with Hubble imagery 521 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 1: and sort of working out its existence based on these 522 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:58,720 Speaker 1: two different streams. All right, up next we have Puck is, 523 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,080 Speaker 1: of course, named after the sprite from a midsummer Night's Dream. 524 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,520 Speaker 1: Stanley Tucci played him in the nineteen ninety nine film adaptation, 525 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,200 Speaker 1: which had a great cast. I do remember seeing this 526 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 1: film when it came out, and I imagine I've seen multiple. 527 00:31:11,920 --> 00:31:13,640 Speaker 1: It seems like Midsummer Night's Dream is just one of 528 00:31:13,680 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: those plays that you're just going to fall into seeing it, 529 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,000 Speaker 1: even if you don't set out to watch Shakespeare in life. 530 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 2: Puck's a great character, great mischief maker, the mischief maker 531 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 2: who brings wisdom, whether on purpose or not. 532 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:31,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, Tucci was perfect casting. Now significance Here is 533 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 1: the smallest of the inner moons, with a diameter of 534 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:36,920 Speaker 1: about one hundred and fifty kilometers or about ninety miles, 535 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: And it was guess what discovered by voyager two? All right, 536 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: up next we have Mab. It's named after Queen Mab, 537 00:31:44,640 --> 00:31:48,080 Speaker 1: queen of the fair folk and English folklore. She's mentioned 538 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:51,120 Speaker 1: in Romeo and Juliet So and just mentioned. So it 539 00:31:51,240 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: just really really squeaks by on a tacticality. I mean, 540 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 1: this is one of those situations where I feel like 541 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,200 Speaker 1: I want to shout a little bit and be like, look, 542 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:04,040 Speaker 1: there are a lot of names that are mentioned in Shakespeare, 543 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: and there are plenty of characters. I don't know why 544 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: Queen Mab seems like the ideal choice here. 545 00:32:10,400 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 2: Is there an inner moon named Julius Caesar? 546 00:32:15,400 --> 00:32:17,400 Speaker 1: No, but you know you could that would have been 547 00:32:17,440 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: a good one. Caesar, right, But that's just off the 548 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: top of my head. I'm not sure if there's some 549 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:25,000 Speaker 1: other well, you know, I should also point out when 550 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: you start looking. And I didn't get into this in 551 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: any of my note taking, really, but there are individual 552 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: features on some moons that are likewise named after other things. 553 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: So it could be a Caesar in there somewhere, you 554 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:37,640 Speaker 1: know what. 555 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 2: Actually, I want to be fair, Even a lot of 556 00:32:40,280 --> 00:32:44,320 Speaker 2: the Shakespeare characters that we think of as more original 557 00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:48,880 Speaker 2: shakespeare characters are actually often from like adapted versions of 558 00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:51,960 Speaker 2: pre existing tales. Like a lot of Shakespeare's plays were 559 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 2: not wholly made up stories. They were based on something 560 00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:58,800 Speaker 2: from history or from an older story or another play, 561 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 2: or something right right, like who would have thought of it? 562 00:33:02,640 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 2: You know? Hamlet is the guy from the Northman. 563 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:09,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, if you were around today, he'd be uh, 564 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:12,520 Speaker 1: you know, he'd be in the MCU somewhere working on 565 00:33:12,680 --> 00:33:13,760 Speaker 1: a project. 566 00:33:14,880 --> 00:33:15,080 Speaker 2: Of it. 567 00:33:15,120 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: Anyway, Mab is the moon here. This one was discovered 568 00:33:18,960 --> 00:33:22,320 Speaker 1: in two thousand and three by show Alter and Lessauer 569 00:33:22,560 --> 00:33:24,200 Speaker 1: using the Hubble space telescope. 570 00:33:24,440 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 2: Interesting in fact, I came across while reading that article 571 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 2: by the NASA Goddard researcher Amy Simon. She writes that 572 00:33:32,080 --> 00:33:37,239 Speaker 2: mab quote maybe generating a tenuous blue toned ring like 573 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:41,240 Speaker 2: Enceladus does for Saturn's e ring, though the source currently 574 00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:42,320 Speaker 2: remains a mystery. 575 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,800 Speaker 1: Well, you know that sounds kind of fitting for the 576 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: Queen of the fairy Folk, So I do like that. 577 00:33:48,840 --> 00:33:50,680 Speaker 2: Well, I'm looking at the clock, and do you know 578 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:54,360 Speaker 2: what the clock reads. It reads a promise broken because 579 00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 2: we said we were going to do all of the 580 00:33:56,520 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 2: moons within part two, and I think we have failed 581 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,239 Speaker 2: because we're coming up against a time limit. We got 582 00:34:01,280 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 2: to cap it here and we've got all of the 583 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 2: major moons left to talk about. So I think that's 584 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:08,640 Speaker 2: going to have to be part three of our series 585 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 2: on Urinus and its satellites. 586 00:34:11,080 --> 00:34:13,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, hopefully we didn't mess anybody up there, but I 587 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,719 Speaker 1: think the journey will be better for breaking into three 588 00:34:16,760 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 1: parts here, and there's going to be a lot of 589 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:20,840 Speaker 1: fun stuff to talk about, especially with the major moons 590 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,840 Speaker 1: of Uranus, and then getting also into just some of 591 00:34:24,040 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 1: the additional Shakespearean references in the naming of these moons. 592 00:34:29,080 --> 00:34:31,920 Speaker 1: In the meantime, if you would like to catch up 593 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:34,600 Speaker 1: on past episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind, including 594 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:39,400 Speaker 1: our past episodes dealing with the moons of Jupiter and 595 00:34:39,560 --> 00:34:42,920 Speaker 1: Saturn and Mars and so forth, you'll find those in 596 00:34:42,920 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: the Stuff to Blow your Mind podcast feed, which you'll 597 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:47,839 Speaker 1: find wherever you get your podcasts. We have core episodes 598 00:34:47,960 --> 00:34:50,320 Speaker 1: of Stuff to Blow Your Mind airing there on Tuesdays 599 00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:53,440 Speaker 1: and Thursdays. On Mondays, we open up the mail bag 600 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 1: on our listener mail episodes. That's primarily where we read 601 00:34:57,600 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: emails from people. Occasionally we'll read one in an episod, 602 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 1: so as in today's episode, you know if it relates 603 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:04,719 Speaker 1: to the subject matter, but generally it's going to be 604 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: in the Monday episodes. On Wednesdays, we do a short 605 00:35:07,680 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: form artifact or monster fact episode. This week. Of course, 606 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,560 Speaker 1: it ties into our theme of Urinus, so go check 607 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:17,600 Speaker 1: that out if you haven't. And then on Fridays, we 608 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,319 Speaker 1: set aside most serious concerns to just talk about a 609 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: weird film on Weird House Cinema. Our selection for this 610 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,280 Speaker 1: week does not have anything to do with the planet Uranus, 611 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:27,920 Speaker 1: but that it's still a. 612 00:35:27,920 --> 00:35:30,160 Speaker 2: Lot of fun. Bye God. We'll find a way to 613 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:35,320 Speaker 2: tie it in by the time Friday comes around anyway. 614 00:35:35,840 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 2: Huge thanks as always to our audio producer JJ Posway. 615 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:43,160 Speaker 2: If you would like to get in touch with us 616 00:35:43,200 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 2: with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest 617 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:48,720 Speaker 2: a topic for the future, or just to say hello, 618 00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 2: you can email us at contact at stuff to Blow 619 00:35:52,080 --> 00:36:00,680 Speaker 2: your Mind dot com. 620 00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 3: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 621 00:36:03,840 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 3: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 622 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:23,520 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.