In August 25, 1989, NASA’s Voyager 2 mission reached the outer solar system and gave us our first look at the largest of Neptune’s 13 moons, Triton. To begin, Triton is considered to be one of the coldest places in our entire Solar System. The moon’s surface temperature is about-235°C on average, while Pluto averages about -229°C.
Yes, this world is colder than Pluto.
And upon our arrival, we discovered that the this strange moon is, well, even stranger than we assumed. In fact, it is orbiting the wrong way, and it is the only large moon among any of the other planets in the solar system that does this.
If that's not enough to convince you that it’s clearly no ordinary moon, Triton’s surface is smooth, seemingly like metal. This may be caused by eruptions on the surface, as Triton is geologically active to this day, driven by the radioactive heating from its core. And this heating means thatit could haveliquid water in its interior, just like Europa.
One theory is that Triton was originally a binary object that visited our solar system from somewhere else. In this case, Triton would have once been a dwarf planet. However, it had a close encounter with Neptune that ended with the loss of the other body, making the former planet a moon.
Sadly,Triton’s orbit is decaying. Scientists estimate that, in approximately 3.6 billion years, it will pass below Neptune’s Roche limit and will be torn apart...so enjoy this little world while you can.
Overview. Triton is the largest of Neptune's 13 moons. It is unusual because it is the only large moon in our solar system that orbits in the opposite direction of its planet's rotation―a retrograde orbit. Scientists think Triton is a Kuiper Belt Object captured by Neptune's gravity millions of years ago.
Triton is unique among all large moons in the Solar System for its retrograde orbit around its planet (i.e. it orbits in a direction opposite to the planet's rotation). Most of the outer irregular moons of Jupiter and Saturn also have retrograde orbits, as do some of the irregular moons of Uranus and Neptune.
Titan. Saturn's largest moon Titan is unique in the solar system as the only satellite with a substantial atmosphere of its own—a discovery that frustrated NASA scientists when images from the Voyager probes revealed only a hazy orange ball.
Triton is unique among the large moons of the solar system in that it moves in a retrograde orbit—i.e., one that is opposite the direction of Neptune's rotation. Its mean orbital distance is about 354,800 km (220,500 miles) from the planet.
Triton is the only large moon in the solar system that circles its planet in a direction opposite to the planet's rotation (a retrograde orbit), which suggests that it may once have been an independent object that Neptune captured.
If you lived on Triton, you wouldn't get to enjoy any seasonal effects to temperature. With an average temperature of minus 391 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 235 Celsius), Triton is the coldest- known object in the solar system.
To begin, Triton is considered to be one of the coldest places in our entire Solar System. The moon's surface temperature is about -235°C on average, while Pluto averages about -229°C. Yes, this world is colder than Pluto.
According to NASA, a blue moon only occurs once every two or three years on average—and a blue moon that is also a supermoon is even rarer. While a “super blue moon” can occasionally happen twice within two months, at other times, it could be 20 years before the phenomenon repeats.
One reason for this incredibly cold temperature is the high albedo of the moon. With an albedo of . 7-. 8, most of the scarce sunlight that makes it to the surface of Triton is reflected.
Scientists predict that in about 3.6 billion years, Triton will get close enough to Neptune to be torn apart by the planet's gravity, possibly forming a ring around Neptune.
Scientists don't think Triton has any oxygen present but Earth also had little to no oxygen present during the early ages. x An ocean beneath would suggest that water is present and we know that in order for there to be water, hydrogen and oxygen atoms would have to be present.
Triton is the largest of Neptune's 13 moons. It is unusual because it is the only large moon in our solar system that orbits in the opposite direction of its planet's rotation―a retrograde orbit. Scientists think Triton is a Kuiper Belt Object captured by Neptune's gravity millions of years ago.
Foremost among Poseidon's children was Triton. He had various attributes in Greek mythology, but generally, he was said to have the power to calm the waves of the ocean by blowing a magical conch shell. In times of war, he used this conch to scare his father's enemies.
Second, Triton is one of the irregular moons. It orbits backward relative to Neptune's spin, and its orbit is inclined at a stunning 67 degrees — almost perpendicular to its parent planet.
Triton, the largest of Neptune's 14 known moons, gets 900 times less sunlight than Earth, and much of that light reflects off the icy world's surface. This makes Triton one of the chilliest places in the solar system, with temperatures that plunge to -240 degrees Celsius (-400 degrees Fahrenheit).
One reason for this incredibly cold temperature is the high albedo of the moon. With an albedo of . 7-. 8, most of the scarce sunlight that makes it to the surface of Triton is reflected.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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