18°18′S347°48′E / 18.3°S 347.8°E /-18.3; 347.8
 | |
| Feature type | Scarp |
|---|---|
| Location | Miranda |
| Coordinates | 18°18′S347°48′E / 18.30°S 347.80°E /-18.30; 347.80[2] |
| Diameter | 116.0 km (72.1 mi) |
| Peak | |
| Discoverer | Voyager 2 |
| Eponym | Verona, the setting forRomeo and Juliet |
Verona Rupes is the tallest knowncliff onMiranda, a moon ofUranus, and plausibly holds the record for the highest cliff in theSolar System. It was discovered by theVoyager 2 space probe in January 1986. Its name was adopted by theInternational Astronomical Union (IAU) in 1988, named after the city ofVerona, which is the setting for several plays byWilliam Shakespeare.[2] It may have been created by a major impact that caused the moon to disrupt and reassemble,[6][7] or by the crust rifting.[8] Given Miranda's low gravity, it would take about 12 minutes to fall from the top, reaching the bottom at a speed of about 200 km/h.[5]
There are many estimates about the cliff's height. It was thought its height was between 5 and 10 km (3 and 6 mi)[4] high, while another places it at a higher altitude of 20 km (12 mi),[5] potentially making it the tallest known cliff in theSolar System. One study estimated that the "true" height of Verona Rupes is around 5 to 15 km (3 to 9 mi) when not accounting for oblique viewing caused byparallax, gradually getting more shallow towards the terminator.[3] It may be presumed that the scarp extends beyond theterminator, into the northern hemisphere, where theVoyager 2 probe could not see.[9] The scarp's slope with regard to the dark limb that extends past the terminator is estimated to be around 25 to 30 degrees.[3]
