Ophelia is one of the small inner moons of Uranus. Ophelia appears to be the outer satellite straddling Uranus' bright Epsilon ring. Ophelia and Cordelia are believed to herd the ring material into shape and keep it from drifting into space. All of Uranus' inner moons (those observed by Voyager 2) appear to be roughly half water ice and half rock.
Discovery:
Ophelia was discovered January 1986 in images sent back by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its flyby of Uranus.
How Ophelia Got its Name:
This moon was originally designated S/1986 U8, but was later renamed for the character of Ophelia in Shakespeare's "Hamlet." Ophelia is the daughter of Polonius and fiance of Hamlet in the play.
Moons of Uranus are named for characters in William Shakespeare's plays and from Alexander Pope's "Rape of the Lock."
