Lhea

Lhea is a small, icy moon of Uranus, discovered in 1985 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. It is one of the 27 known moons of Uranus and is named after the character in Alexander Pope's poem "Rape of the Lock." Lhea is approximately 48 kilometers in diameter and orbits Uranus at an average distance of about 117,000 kilometers. Its orbit is inclined at 39 degrees to Uranus' equatorial plane and has an eccentricity of 0.14. The moon's surface is heavily cratered, indicating a long history of impacts. Lhea is believed to be composed primarily of water ice with a rocky core. It is part of the Uranian moon system, which is notable for its high inclination and retrograde orbits, likely due to a past collision with a large object. Lhea's low albedo and reddish hue suggest the presence of dark material on its surface, possibly due to radiation processing of organic compounds. The moon's origin and evolution are still subjects of ongoing research, with scientists studying its composition and surface features to better understand the dynamics of the Uranian system.