Moon of Uranus
Miranda
Miranda is a moon. It orbits Uranus. It is about 472 km across – smaller than our Moon. Miranda has what is probably the highest cliff in the Solar System: Verona Rupes is up to 20 km high. A fall would take around 12 minutes.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Uranus
- Diameter
- 472 km
- Distance from Uranus
- 129,900 km
- Orbital period
- 1.4 days
- Temperature
- -187 °C on average
Miranda orbits Uranus.
Interesting facts about Miranda
- Miranda has what is probably the highest cliff in the Solar System: Verona Rupes is up to 20 km high. A fall would take around 12 minutes.
- Its surface is a wild patchwork – as if the moon had been smashed and put back together wrongly.
- The moons of Uranus are named after characters from works by Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
Frequently asked questions about Miranda
How big is Miranda?
Miranda has a diameter of 472 km. That is about 14% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Miranda from Uranus?
Miranda orbits Uranus at an average distance of 129,900 km.
How long does Miranda take to orbit Uranus?
Miranda orbits Uranus once every 33.8 hours.
How cold or warm is it on Miranda?
On Miranda the average temperature is −187 °C.
Formation
The huge, angular “coronae” probably formed when warm ice rose from the interior – driven by tidal forces in the past.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Discovered in 1948 by Gerard Kuiper. All close-ups come from the Voyager 2 flyby in January 1986.
Compared with Earth
Around 470 km across – only about a seventh of our Moon.
Other moons of Uranus
Test your knowledge of Miranda
Which moon has what is probably the highest cliff in the Solar System?
Miranda. Verona Rupes on Uranus's moon Miranda is up to 20 km high – a fall would take about 12 minutes.
The full quiz with points and badges is in the 3D model under “Explore”.
Miranda in the tours
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