Object Analysis

Triton is the largest natural satellite of the planet Neptune. It was discovered on October 10, 1846, by William Lassell, just 17 days after the discovery of Neptune itself. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, an orbit in the opposite direction to its planet's rotation.

This retrograde orbit suggests that Triton did not form in orbit around Neptune but was a dwarf planet captured from the Kuiper Belt. It is composed of a crust of frozen nitrogen over an icy mantle. Its surface is young and sparsely cratered.

Triton is geologically active. The Voyager 2 probe observed cryovolcanoes erupting nitrogen gas and dust up to 8 km high. This activity is likely driven by seasonal heating from the Sun, despite the incredible distance and cold (-235°C), creating a thin, tenuous nitrogen atmosphere.