Triton

Among moons of Neptune, Triton is largest and follows a reverse orbital direction.[1]

History

Triton's discoverer was William Lassell, who first saw it in October 1846.[1]

Findings

Scientists think Neptune captured Triton from the Kuiper Belt.[1] Voyager views reveal smooth plains, scattered mounds, and round depressions made by flows of icy lava.[1] Nitrogen makes up most of the thin atmosphere around Triton, with methane in smaller amounts.[1] JPL lists Triton's mean radius as 1,352.6 kilometres.[2] USGS includes craters, pits, and plumes among mapped feature types on Triton.[3]

Sources

  1. Triton | NASA Science. Licence: US federal work, public domain (17 USC 105). Attribution: NASA.
  2. Physical Parameters of Natural Satellites | NASA/JPL. Licence: facts-only (Track B), no text reused. Attribution: NASA/JPL-Caltech.
  3. Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature | USGS. Licence: US federal work, public domain (17 USC 105). Attribution: U.S. Geological Survey.

Evidence as of 2026-11-01.