2,706.8 km
DIAMETER
5.88 DAYS
ORBITAL PERIOD
354,759 km
FROM NEPTUNE
1846
DISCOVERED
RETROGRADE
ORBIT DIRECTION
#1
LARGEST NEPTUNE MOON
THE CAPTURED WORLD
Triton is the largest moon of Neptune
and the seventh-largest moon in the
Solar System.
Unlike most large moons, Triton moves
around its planet in a retrograde orbit,
meaning it travels in the opposite
direction to Neptune's rotation.
This unusual orbit strongly suggests
that Triton was originally a Kuiper Belt
object that was captured by Neptune's
gravity.
Voyager 2 flew past Triton in 1989 and
revealed a surprisingly young and active
surface covered with nitrogen and
water-ice deposits.
TRITON FEATURES
NITROGEN GEYSERS
Voyager 2 observed dark plumes
rising from active nitrogen geysers
on Triton's surface.
RETROGRADE ORBIT
Triton orbits Neptune backwards
compared with the rotation of the
planet.
ICY SURFACE
The surface contains nitrogen,
methane and water ice, creating
a remarkably bright frozen world.
DID YOU KNOW?
Triton is probably a captured
Kuiper Belt object.
It is the only large moon in the
Solar System with a retrograde orbit.
A CAPTURED WORLD
Triton moves around Neptune in a retrograde orbit, opposite the direction of Neptune's rotation. This unusual configuration strongly suggests that Triton did not form as a regular moon beside Neptune but was captured from the population of icy bodies in the outer Solar System.
Voyager 2 observed a young-looking surface and active nitrogen-rich plumes. Triton's capture and geological activity make it important for connecting the study of moons with Kuiper Belt objects.
IMAGE:
NASA / JPL / VOYAGER 2
TRITON IMAGE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
TRITON IMAGE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS