What are 5 interesting facts about the planet Varuna?
– Varuna is named after the Hindu god of oceans and immortality. The name was chosen in keeping with the tradition of naming planets after mythological deities. – Varuna has no known moons. – The average temperature on Varuna is a numbing -480 F! – Varuna’s small size means that it has only a very thin atmosphere.
How many moons does each planet have?
How Many Moons Does Each Planet Have? 1 Mercury - 0 2 Venus - 0 3 Earth - 1 4 Mars - 2 5 Jupiter - 79 (53 confirmed, 26 provisional) 6 Saturn - 62 (53 confirmed, 9 provisional) 7 Uranus - 27 8 Neptune - 14
Is there a satellite in space around the Moon's Moon Varuna?
Although no natural satellites have been found or directly imaged around Varuna, analysis of variations in its light curve in 2019 suggests the presence of a possible satellite orbiting closely around Varuna.
What is the significance of the number 20000 on the Moon Varuna?
The minor planet number 20000 was particularly chosen to commemorate Varuna's large size, being the largest classical Kuiper belt object known at that time and was believed to be as large as Ceres.
How many moons does 20000 Varuna have?
20000 Varuna, 2000 WR 106Proper NameVarunaRotation Period6 hours, 21 minutesDiameterc.670 km (longest axis)MoonsNone knownParent starThe Sun, yellow dwarf star7 more rows
Is Varuna a dwarf planet?
Varuna is a dwarf planet whose orbit extends beyond the orbit of Neptune.
How big is Varuna?
207.54 mi20000 Varuna / Radius
Which planet is known as Varuna?
Varun is the Indian name of the Neptune.
What is Varuna in astrology?
Varuna, in the Vedic phase of Hindu mythology, the god-sovereign, the personification of divine authority. He is the ruler of the sky realm and the upholder of cosmic and moral law (rita), a duty shared with the group of gods known as the Adityas (see Aditi), of whom he was the chief.
What does Varuna mean?
Definition of Varuna : a chief Vedic god responsible for natural and moral order in the cosmos.
Who discovered Varuna?
Robert S. McMillan20000 Varuna / DiscovererRobert S. McMillan is an astronomer at the University of Arizona, and heads the Spacewatch project, which studies minor planets. He has made various discoveries, including notably 20000 Varuna. On October 19, 2008, he discovered a short-periodic comet 208P/McMillan. Wikipedia
What is Varuna herb?
Varun. Varun is a famous diuretic Ayurvedic herb. It is also a good blood purifier that helps to maintain homeostasis (healthy and a stable state of a living being). Varun might help relieve constipation due to its laxative property as it loosen stools and promote bowel movement.
How do you pronounce Varuna?
0:010:17How to Pronounce varuna with Meaning, Phonetic, Synonyms and ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipArruina ruina ruina.MoreArruina ruina ruina.
Are Indra and Varuna same?
Varuna is known today as the god of the sea and Indra as the god of the rain. Varuna is associated with saltwater, located on the ground, and Indra is associated with freshwater, which comes from the sky. Varuna is the guardian of the western horizon, and Indra, the guardian of the eastern horizon.
Is Varuna a Vishnu?
One of the most famous myths involving Varuna comes from the Ramayana. In it, an avatar of the great god Vishnu, Rama, wishes to cross the mighty ocean of Lanka.
Is Varuna a Neptune?
Varuna (/ˈvɜːrʊnə, ˈvɑːrə-/; Sanskrit: वरुण, IAST: Váruṇa, Malay: Baruna) is a Vedic deity associated initially with the sky, later also with the seas as well as Ṛta (justice) and Satya (truth)....VarunaGreek equivalentPoseidonRoman equivalentNeptune (mythology)12 more rows
What is considered a dwarf planet?
According to the International Astronomical Union, which sets definitions for planetary science, a dwarf planet is a celestial body that -orbits the sun, has enough mass to assume a nearly round shape, has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit and is not a moon.
How many dwarf planets are there?
Currently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) officially classifies five celestial bodies in our solar system as dwarf planets: Pluto, Eris, Ceres, Makemake, and Haumea.
Is Ixion a dwarf planet?
28978 Ixion /ɪkˈsaɪ. ən/, provisional designation 2001 KX76, is a large trans-Neptunian object and a possible dwarf planet. It is located in the Kuiper belt, a region of icy objects orbiting beyond Neptune in the outer Solar System.
Has Voyager reached the Oort Cloud?
No missions have been sent to explore the Oort Cloud yet, but five spacecraft will eventually get there. They are Voyager 1 and 2, New Horizons, and Pioneer 10 and 11. The Oort Cloud is so distant, however, that the power sources for all five spacecraft will be dead centuries before they reach its inner edge.
How bright is Varuna?
Varuna's apparent magnitude , its brightness as seen from Earth, varies from 19.5 to 20 magnitudes. At opposition, its apparent magnitude can reach up 20.3 magnitudes. Combined thermal measurements from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory in 2013 obtained a visual absolute magnitude ( HV) of 3.76, comparable to that of the similarly-sized Kuiper belt object Ixion ( H V =3.83). Varuna is among the twenty brightest trans-Neptunian objects known, despite the Minor Planet Center assuming an absolute magnitude of 3.6.
What is the color of Varuna?
Varuna's spectrum also exhibits strong absorption bands at wavelengths of 1.5 and 2 μm, indicating the presence of water ice on its surface. The red color of Varuna's surface results from the photolysis of organic compounds being irradiated by sunlight and cosmic rays.
What is Varuna named after?
Varuna is named after the eponymous Hindu deity Varuna, following the International Astronomical Union naming convention for non-resonant Kuiper belt objects after creator deities. The name was proposed by Indian choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai, and was approved by the IAU in March 2001.
What is the name of the planet in the Kuiper belt?
3.6. 20000 Varuna, provisional designation 2000 WR106 , is a large trans-Neptunian object and a possible dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt. It was discovered in December 2000 by American astronomer Robert McMillan during a Spacewatch survey at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. It has an elongated shape due to its rapid rotation.
How long is the rotation of Varuna?
Varuna has a rapid rotation period of approximately 6.34 hours, derived from a double-peaked solution for Varuna's rotational light curve. Varuna's rotation was first measured January 2001 by astronomer Tony Farnham using the McDonald Observatory 's 2.1-meter telescope, as part of a study on the rotation and colors of distant objects. CCD photometry of Varuna's light curve in 2001 revealed that it displays large brightness variations with an amplitude of about 0.5 magnitudes. The measured rotational light curve of Varuna provided two ambiguous rotation periods of 3.17 and 6.34 hours, for a single-peaked and a double-peaked solution, respectively. Additional possible rotation periods of 2.79 and 3.66 hours were also obtained by Farnham, although these values could not be ruled out at the time.
Where was Varuna located?
At the time of discovery, Varuna was located at a moderately dense star field close to the northern galactic equator.
Which planets are in the polar and ecliptic view?
Polar and ecliptic view of the orbits of Varuna (blue), Pluto (red), and Neptune (white). The orbital inclinations of Varuna and Pluto as shown in the ecliptic view are notably similar. The image on the right shows the orbits of several other large Kuiper belt objects including Pluto.
How many moons are there in our solar system?
There are hundreds of moons in our solar system — even a few asteroids have been found to have small companion moons. Moons that begin with a letter and a year are considered provisional moons. They will be given a proper name when their discoveries are confirmed by additional observations. Of the terrestrial (rocky) planets ...
Which planet has the largest moon?
Jupiter's menagerie of moons includes the largest in the solar system (Ganymede), an ocean moon (Europa) and a volcanic moon (Io). Many of Jupiter's outer moons have highly elliptical orbits and orbit backwards (opposite to the spin of the planet). Saturn, Uranus and Neptune also have some irregular moons, which orbit far from their respective ...
What are moons called?
Neptune - 14. Introduction. Moons — also called natural satellites — come in many shapes, sizes and types. They are generally solid bodies, and few have atmospheres. Most planetary moons probably formed from the discs of gas and dust circulating around planets in the early solar system. There are hundreds of moons in our solar system — even ...
What is the moon of Pluto?
Moons of Dwarf Planets. Pluto's large moon Charon is about half the size of Pluto. Like Earth's Moon, Charon may have formed from debris resulting from an early collision of an impactor with Pluto. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope to study Pluto found four more small moons.
How do moons get their names?
How Moons Get Their Names. Most moons in our solar system are named for mythological characters from a wide variety of cultures. The newest moons discovered at Saturn, for example, are named for Norse gods such as Bergelmir, a giant. Shakespeare’s characters are immortalized in orbit at Uranus. .
Which moon is bigger, Miranda or Neptune?
In the realm of the ice giants, Uranus's inner moons appear to be about half water ice and half rock. Miranda is the most unusual; its chopped-up appearance shows the scars of impacts of large rocky bodies. Neptune's moon Triton is as big as Pluto and orbits backwards compared with Neptune's direction of rotation.
How many astronauts landed on the moon?
Twelve American astronauts landed on the Moon during NASA's Apollo program from 1969 to 1972, studying the Moon and bringing back rock samples. Usually the term moon brings to mind a spherical object, like Earth's Moon. The two moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, are different.
How many moons does Uranus have?
Uranus has 27 moons that we know of. Some of them are half made of ice. Lastly, Neptune has 14 named moons. One of Neptune's moons, Triton, is as big as dwarf planet Pluto. To learn more about the moons in our solar system, visit the NASA Solar System Exploration moons page. article last updated October 13, 2020.
Which moon is the biggest in the solar system?
The most well-known of Jupiter's moons are Io (pronounced eye-oh ), Europa, and Callisto. Jupiter also has the biggest moon in our solar system, Ganymede. These moons are so big you can see them with just a pair of binoculars.
What are Saturn's moons called?
And that’s not counting Saturn’s beautiful rings. Saturn’s moons have great names like Mimas, Enceladus , and Tethys. One of these moons, named Titan, even has its own atmosphere, which is very unusual for a moon.
Why doesn't Venus have a moon?
Neither of them has a moon. Because Mercury is so close to the Sun and its gravity, it wouldn’t be able to hold on to its own moon. Any moon would most likely crash into Mercury or maybe go into orbit around the Sun and eventually get pulled into it. Why Venus doesn’t have a moon is a mystery for scientists to solve.
Overview
Physical characteristics
As a result of its rapid rotation, the shape of Varuna is deformed into a triaxial ellipsoid. Given the rapid rotation, rare for objects so large, Varuna's shape is described as a Jacobi ellipsoid, with an a/b aspect ratio of around 1.5–1.6 (in which Varuna's longest semi-axis a is 1.5–1.6 times longer than its b semi-axis). Examination of Varuna's light curve has found that the best-fit model for Varuna's shape is a triaxial ellipsoid with the semi-axes a, b, and c in ratios in the range of b/a = …
History
Varuna was discovered by American astronomer Robert McMillan using the Spacewatch 0.9-meter telescope during a routine survey on 28 November 2000. The Spacewatch survey was conducted by McMillan at the Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona. At the time of discovery, Varuna was located at a moderately dense star field close to the northern galactic equator. Althoug…
Orbit and classification
Varuna orbits the Sun at an average distance of 42.7 AU (6.39 billion km; 3.97 billion mi), taking 279 years to complete a full orbit. Its orbit is nearly circular, with a low orbital eccentricity of 0.056. Due to its low orbital eccentricity, its distance from the Sun varies slightly over the course of its orbit. Varuna's minimum distance possible (MOID) from Neptune is 12.04 AU. Over the course of its orbit, Varuna's distance from the Sun ranges from 40.3 AU at perihelion (closest distance) to 45.…
Rotation
Varuna has a rapid rotation period of approximately 6.34 hours, derived from a double-peaked solution for Varuna's rotational light curve. Varuna's rotation was first measured January 2001 by astronomer Tony Farnham using the McDonald Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope, as part of a study on the rotation and colors of distant objects. CCD photometry of Varuna's light curve in 2001 revealed tha…
Possible satellite
Photometric observations of Varuna's light curve, led by Valenzuela and colleagues in 2019, indicate that a possible satellite might be orbiting Varuna at a close distance. By using the Fourier analysis method of combining four separate light curves obtained in 2019, they derived a lower quality light curve amplitude with a greater amount of residuals. Their result indicated that Varuna's light curve experiences subtle changes over time. They plotted the residuals of the co…
Exploration
Planetary scientist Amanda Zangari calculated that a flyby mission to Varuna could take just over 12 years using a Jupiter gravity assist, based on a launch date of 2035 or 2038. Alternative trajectories using gravity assists from Jupiter, Saturn, or Uranus have been also considered. A trajectory using gravity assists from Jupiter and Uranus could take just over 13 years, based a launch date of 2034 or 2037, whereas a trajectory using gravity assists from Saturn and Uranus …
Notes
1. ^ The mean diameter of ~678 km is calculated as the average diameter of the 2013 and 2014 occultation chords of ~686 km and ~670 km, respectively.
2. ^ Calculated using Spitzer and Herschel diameter of 668 km (radius 334 km) and density of 0.992 g/cm . Assuming a spherical shape for Varuna, the radius of 334 km yields a volume of approximately 1.548×10 km . Multiplying the volume with its density of 0.992 g/cm yields an approximate mass of 1.55×10 kg.