(Astronomy)
One of Uranus' recently discovered satellites, along with
Caliban (S/1997 U 1 and S/1997 U 2, respectively).
They were detected in September 1997 by the
telescope at Palomar Observatory by
B.J. Gladman, P.D. Nicholson,
J.A. Burns and J.J. Kavelaars.
Sycorax is about
120 kilometers in diameter, and
orbits Uranus
at a distance of 12.2 million kilometers. Its small
size has not been visually confirmed, but has been
calculated based on the assumption that it has an
albedo of approximately 7%.
The name Sycorax comes
from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest.
She was a witch, and the mother of Caliban,
but does not appear
in the play herself.