Triton ( moon ) - wikipedia Triton ( moon ) Not to be confused with Titan ( moon ). Triton Voyager 2 photomosaic of Triton 's sub-Neptunian hemisphere Discovery Discovered by William Lassell Discovery date October 10, 1846 Designations Pronunciation / ˈtraɪtən / Alternative names Neptune I Adjectives Tritonian Orbital characteristics Semi-major axis 7008354759000000000 ♠ 354 759 km Eccentricity 6995160000000000000 ♠ 0.000 016 Orbital period 7005507760185599999 ♠ 5.876 854 d ( retrograde ) Average orbital speed 4.39 km / s Inclination 129.812 ° ( to the ecliptic ) 156.885 ° ( to Neptune 's equator ) 129.608 ° ( to Neptune 's orbit ) Satellite of Neptune Physical characteristics Mean radius 7006135340000000000 ♠ 1353. 4 ± 0.9 km ( 0.2122 Earths ) Surface area 7013230180000000000 ♠ 23 018 000 km Volume 7019103840000000000 ♠ 10 384 000 000 km Mass 7022214000000000000 ♠ 2.14 × 10 kg ( 6997359000000000000 ♠ 0.003 59 Earths ) Mean density 7003206100000000000 ♠ 2.061 g / cm Surface gravity 6999779000000000000 ♠ 0.779 m / s ( 6998794000000000000 ♠ 0.0794 g ) ( 0.48 Moons ) Escape velocity 7003145500000000000 ♠ 1.455 km / s Rotation period synchronous Sidereal rotation period 5 d, 21 h, 2 min, 53 s Axial tilt 0 Albedo 0.76 Temperature 38 K ( − 235.2 ° C ) Apparent magnitude 13.47 Absolute magnitude ( H ) − 1.2 Atmosphere Surface pressure 1.4 -- 1.9 Pa ( 1 / 7004700000000000000 ♠ 70 000 the surface pressure on Earth ) Composition by volume nitrogen ; methane traces. Triton is the largest natural satellite of the planet Neptune, and the first Neptunian moon to be discovered. The discovery was made on October 10, 1846, by English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon in the Solar System with a retrograde orbit, an orbit in the direction opposite to its planet 's rotation. At 2,710 kilometres ( 1,680 mi ) in diameter, it is the seventh - largest moon in the Solar System. Because of its retrograde orbit and composition similar to Pluto 's, Triton is thought to have been a dwarf planet captured from the Kuiper belt. It has a surface of mostly frozen nitrogen, a mostly water - ice crust, an icy mantle and a substantial core of rock and metal. The core makes up two - thirds of its total mass. The mean density is 2.061 g / cm reflecting a composition of approximately 15 -- 35 % water ice. Triton is one of the few moons in the Solar System known to be geologically active ( the others being Jupiter 's Io and Europa, and Saturn 's Enceladus and Titan ). As a consequence, its surface is relatively young, with few obvious impact craters. Intricate cryovolcanic and tectonic terrains suggest a complex geological history. Part of its surface has geysers erupting sublimated nitrogen gas, contributing to a tenuous nitrogen atmosphere less than 1 / 70,000 the pressure of Earth 's atmosphere at sea level. It is the second - largest planetary moon in relation to its primary, after Earth 's moon. Contents 1 Discovery and naming 2 Orbit and rotation 3 Capture 4 Physical characteristics 5 Atmosphere 6 Surface features 6.1 Cryovolcanism 6.2 Polar cap, plains and ridges 6.3 Cantaloupe terrain 6.4 Impact craters 7 Observation and exploration 8 Maps 9 See also 10 Notes 11 References 12 External links Discovery and naming William Lassell, the discoverer of Triton Triton was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell on October 10, 1846, just 17 days after the discovery of Neptune. He discovered Triton with his self - built, 61 cm telescope. A brewer by trade, Lassell began making mirrors for his amateur telescope in 1820. When John Herschel received news of Neptune 's discovery, he wrote to Lassell suggesting he search for possible moons. Lassell did so and discovered Triton eight days later. Lassell also claimed to have discovered rings. Although Neptune was later confirmed to have rings, they are so faint and dark that it is doubtful that he actually saw them. Triton is named after the Greek sea god Triton ( Τρίτων ), the son of Poseidon ( the Greek god comparable to the Roman Neptune ). The name was first proposed by Camille Flammarion in his 1880 book Astronomie Populaire, and was officially adopted many decades later. Until the discovery of the second moon Nereid in 1949, Triton was commonly referred to as `` the satellite of Neptune ''. Lassell did not name his own discovery ; he later successfully suggested the name Hyperion, previously chosen by John Herschel, for the eighth moon of Saturn when he discovered it. Orbit and rotation The orbit of Triton ( red ) is opposite in direction and tilted − 23 ° compared to a typical moon 's orbit ( green ) in the plane of Neptune 's equator. 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 Uranus 's outer moons. However, these moons are all much more distant from their primaries, and are small in comparison ; the largest of them ( Phoebe ) has only 8 % of the diameter ( and 0.03 % of the mass ) of Triton. Triton 's orbit is associated with two tilts, the inclination of Neptune 's spin to Neptune 's orbit, 30 °, and the inclination of Triton 's orbit to Neptune 's spin, 157 ° ( an inclination over 90 ° indicates retrograde motion ). Triton 's orbit precesses forward relative to Neptune 's spin with a period of about 678 Earth years ( 4.1 Neptunian years ), making its Neptune - orbit - relative inclination vary between 127 ° and 180 ° and in the past, to 173 °. That inclination is currently 130 ° ; Triton 's orbit is now near its maximum departure from coplanarity with Neptune 's. Triton 's rotation is tidally locked to be synchronous with its orbit around Neptune : it keeps one face oriented toward the planet at all times. Its equator is almost exactly aligned with its orbital plane. At the present time, Triton 's rotational axis is about 40 ° from Neptune 's orbital plane, and hence at some point during Neptune 's year each pole points fairly close to the Sun, almost like the poles of Uranus. As Neptune orbits the Sun, Triton 's polar regions take turns facing the Sun, resulting in seasonal changes as one pole, then the other, moves into the sunlight. Such changes were observed in 2010. Triton 's revolution around Neptune has become a nearly perfect circle with an eccentricity of almost zero. Viscoelastic damping from tides alone is not thought to be capable of circularizing Triton 's orbit in the time since the origin of the system, and gas drag from a prograde debris disc is likely to have played a substantial role. Tidal interactions also cause Triton 's orbit, which is already closer to Neptune than the Moon 's is to Earth, to gradually decay further ; predictions are that 3.6 billion years from now, Triton will pass within Neptune 's Roche limit. This will result in either a collision with Neptune 's atmosphere or the breakup of Triton, forming a new ring system similar to that found around Saturn. Capture The Kuiper belt ( green ), in the Solar System 's outskirts, is where Triton is thought to have originated. Moons in retrograde orbits can not form in the same region of the solar nebula as the planets they orbit, so Triton must have been captured from elsewhere. It might therefore have originated in the Kuiper belt, a ring of small icy objects extending from just inside the orbit of Neptune to about 50 AU from the Sun. Thought to be the point of origin for the majority of short - period comets observed from Earth, the belt is also home to several large, planet - like bodies including Pluto, which is now recognized as the largest in a population of Kuiper belt objects ( the plutinos ) locked in orbital step with Neptune. Triton is only slightly larger than Pluto and nearly identical in composition, which has led to the hypothesis that the two share a common origin. The proposed capture of Triton may explain several features of the Neptunian system, including the extremely eccentric orbit of Neptune 's moon Nereid and the scarcity of moons as compared to the other giant planets. Triton 's initially eccentric orbit would have intersected orbits of irregular moons and disrupted those of smaller regular moons, dispersing them through gravitational interactions. Triton 's eccentric post-capture orbit would have also resulted in tidal heating of its interior, which could have kept Triton fluid for a billion years ; this inference is supported by evidence of differentiation in Triton 's interior. This source of internal heat disappeared following tidal locking and circularization of the orbit. Two types of mechanisms have been proposed for Triton 's capture. To be gravitationally captured by a planet, a passing body must lose sufficient energy to be slowed down to a speed less than that required to escape. An early theory of how Triton may have been slowed was by collision with another object, either one that happened to be passing by Neptune ( which is unlikely ), or a moon or proto - moon in orbit around Neptune ( which is more likely ). A more recent hypothesis suggests that, before its capture, Triton was part of a binary system. When this binary encountered Neptune, it interacted in such a way that the binary dissociated, with one portion of the binary expelled, and the other, Triton, becoming bound to Neptune. This event is more likely for more massive companions. Similar mechanisms have been proposed for the capture of Mars 's moons. This hypothesis is supported by several lines of evidence, including binaries being very common among the large Kuiper belt objects. The event was brief but gentle, saving Triton from collisional disruption. Events like this may have been common during the formation of Neptune, or later when it migrated outward. However, simulations in 2017 showed that after Triton 's capture and before its orbital eccentricity decreased it probably did collide with at least one other moon, and caused collisions between other moons. Physical characteristics Triton dominates the Neptunian moon system, with over 99.5 % of its total mass. This imbalance may reflect the elimination of many of Neptune 's original satellites following Triton 's capture. Triton ( lower left ) compared to the Moon ( upper left ) and Earth ( right ), to scale Triton is the seventh - largest moon and sixteenth - largest object in the Solar System, and is modestly larger than the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris. It comprises more than 99.5 % of all the mass known to orbit Neptune, including the planet 's rings and thirteen other known moons, and is also more massive than all known moons in the Solar System smaller than itself combined. Also, with a diameter 5.5 % that of Neptune, it is the largest moon of a gas giant relative to its planet in terms of diameter, although Titan is bigger relative to Saturn in terms of mass. It has a radius, density ( 2.061 g / cm ), temperature and chemical composition similar to those of Pluto. Triton 's surface is covered with a transparent layer of annealed frozen nitrogen. Only 40 % of Triton 's surface has been observed and studied, but it is possible that it is entirely covered in such a thin sheet of nitrogen ice. Like Pluto 's, Triton 's crust consists of 55 % nitrogen ice with other ices mixed in. Water ice comprises 15 -- 35 % and frozen carbon dioxide ( dry ice ) the remaining 10 -- 20 %. Trace ices include 0.1 % methane and 0.05 % carbon monoxide. There could also be ammonia ice on the surface, as there are indications of ammonia dihydrate in the lithosphere. Triton 's mean density implies that it probably consists of about 30 -- 45 % water ice ( including relatively small amounts of volatile ices ), with the remainder being rocky material. Triton 's surface area is 23 million km, which is 4.5 % of Earth, or 15.5 % of Earth 's land area. Triton has a considerably and unusually high albedo, reflecting 60 -- 95 % of the sunlight that reaches it, and it has changed slightly since the first observations. By comparison, the Moon reflects only 11 %. Triton 's reddish colour is thought to be the result of methane ice, which is converted to tholins under exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Because Triton 's surface indicates a long history of melting, models of its interior posit that Triton is differentiated, like Earth, into a solid core, a mantle and a crust. Water, the most abundant volatile in the Solar System, comprises Triton 's mantle, enveloping a core of rock and metal. There is enough rock in Triton 's interior for radioactive decay to power convection in the mantle to this day. The heat may even be sufficient to maintain a global subsurface ocean similar to what is hypothesized to exist beneath the surface of Europa. The black material ejected is suspected to contain organic compounds, and if liquid water is present in Triton, it has been speculated that this could make it habitable for some form of life. Atmosphere Main article : Atmosphere of Triton Artist 's impression of Triton, showing its tenuous atmosphere just over the limb. Triton has a tenuous nitrogen atmosphere, with trace amounts of carbon monoxide and small amounts of methane near its surface. Like Pluto 's atmosphere, the atmosphere of Triton is thought to have resulted from evaporation of nitrogen from its surface. Its surface temperature is at least 7001356000000000000 ♠ 35.6 K ( 7001355499999999999 ♠ − 237.6 ° C ) because Triton 's nitrogen ice is in the warmer, hexagonal crystalline state, and the phase transition between hexagonal and cubic nitrogen ice occurs at that temperature. An upper limit in the low 40s ( K ) can be set from vapor pressure equilibrium with nitrogen gas in Triton 's atmosphere. This is colder than Pluto 's average equilibrium temperature of 7001440000000000000 ♠ 44 K ( 7001441499999999999 ♠ − 229 ° C ). Triton 's surface atmospheric pressure is only about 1.4 -- 7000190000000000000 ♠ 1.9 Pa ( 0.014 -- 7000190000000000000 ♠ 0.019 mbar ). Clouds observed above Triton 's limb by Voyager 2. Turbulence at Triton 's surface creates a troposphere ( a `` weather region '' ) rising to an altitude of 8 km. Streaks on Triton 's surface left by geyser plumes suggest that the troposphere is driven by seasonal winds capable of moving material of over a micrometre in size. Unlike other atmospheres, Triton 's lacks a stratosphere, and instead has a thermosphere from altitudes of 8 to 950 km, and an exosphere above that. The temperature of Triton 's upper atmosphere, at 7001950000000000000 ♠ 95 ± 5 K, is higher than that at its surface, due to heat absorbed from solar radiation and Neptune 's magnetosphere. A haze permeates most of Triton 's troposphere, thought to be composed largely of hydrocarbons and nitriles created by the action of sunlight on methane. Triton 's atmosphere also has clouds of condensed nitrogen that lie between 1 and 3 km from its surface. In 1997, observations from Earth were made of Triton 's limb as it passed in front of stars. These observations indicated the presence of a denser atmosphere than was deduced from Voyager 2 data. Other observations have shown an increase in temperature by 5 % from 1989 to 1998. These observations indicate Triton is approaching an unusually warm summer season that happens only once every few hundred years. Theories for this warming include a change of frost patterns on Triton 's surface and a change in ice albedo, which would allow more heat to be absorbed. Another theory argues the changes in temperature are a result of deposition of dark, red material from geological processes. Because Triton 's Bond albedo is among the highest within the Solar System, it is sensitive to small variations in spectral albedo. Surface features Interpretative geomorphological map of Triton All detailed knowledge of the surface of Triton was acquired from a distance of 40,000 km by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during a single encounter in 1989. The 40 % of Triton 's surface imaged by Voyager 2 revealed blocky outcrops, ridges, troughs, furrows, hollows, plateaus, icy plains and few craters. Triton is relatively flat ; its observed topography never varies beyond a kilometer. There are relatively few impact craters on Triton. Recent analysis of crater density and distribution has suggested that in geological terms, Triton 's surface is extremely young, with regions varying from an estimated 50 million years old to just an estimated 6 million years old. 55 % of Triton 's surface is covered with frozen nitrogen, with water ice comprising 15 -- 35 % and dry ice ( aka. frozen carbon dioxide ) forming the remaining 10 -- 20 %. The surface shows deposits of tholins, organic compounds that may be precursor chemicals to the origin of life. Cryovolcanism Further information : Cryovolcano Dark streaks across Triton 's south polar cap surface, thought to be dust deposits left by eruptions of nitrogen geysers Triton is geologically active ; its surface is young and has relatively few impact craters. Although Triton 's crust is made of various ices, its subsurface processes are similar to those that produce volcanoes and rift valleys on Earth, but with water and ammonia as opposed to liquid rock. Triton 's entire surface is cut by complex valleys and ridges, probably the result of tectonics and icy volcanism. The vast majority of surface features on Triton are endogenic -- the result of internal geological processes rather than external processes such as impacts. Most are volcanic and extrusive in nature, rather than tectonic. The Voyager 2 probe observed in 1989 a handful of geyser - like eruptions of nitrogen gas and entrained dust from beneath the surface of Triton in plumes up to 8 km high. Triton is thus, along with Earth, Io, and Enceladus, one of the few bodies in the Solar System on which active eruptions of some sort have been observed. The best - observed examples are named Hili and Mahilani ( after a Zulu water sprite and a Tongan sea spirit, respectively ). All the geysers observed were located between 50 ° and 57 ° S, the part of Triton 's surface close to the subsolar point. This indicates that solar heating, although very weak at Triton 's great distance from the Sun, plays a crucial role. It is thought that the surface of Triton probably consists of a translucent layer of frozen nitrogen overlying a darker substrate, which creates a kind of `` solid greenhouse effect ''. Solar radiation passes through the thin surface ice sheet, slowly heating and vaporizing subsurface nitrogen until enough gas pressure accumulates for it to erupt through the crust. A temperature increase of just 4 K above the ambient surface temperature of 37 K could drive eruptions to the heights observed. Although commonly termed `` cryovolcanic '', this nitrogen plume activity is distinct from Triton 's larger scale cryovolcanic eruptions, as well as volcanic processes on other worlds, which are powered by the internal heat of the body in question. Analogous CO geysers on Mars are thought to erupt from its south polar cap each spring. Each eruption of a Triton geyser may last up to a year, driven by the sublimation of about 100 million cubic metres ( 3.5 × 10 ^ cu ft ) of nitrogen ice over this interval ; dust entrained may be deposited up to 150 km downwind in visible streaks, and perhaps much farther in more diffuse deposits. Voyager 2 's images of Triton 's southern hemisphere show many such streaks of dark material. Between 1977 and the Voyager 2 flyby in 1989, Triton shifted from a reddish colour, similar to Pluto, to a far paler hue, suggesting that lighter nitrogen frosts had covered older reddish material. The eruption of volatiles from Triton 's equator and their deposition at the poles may redistribute enough mass over the course of 10,000 years to cause polar wander. Polar cap, plains and ridges Triton 's bright south polar cap above a region of cantaloupe terrain Triton 's south polar region is covered by a highly reflective cap of frozen nitrogen and methane sprinkled by impact craters and openings of geysers. Little is known about the north pole because it was on the night side during the Voyager 2 encounter, but it is thought that Triton must also have a north polar ice cap. The high plains found on Triton 's eastern hemisphere, such as Cipango Planum, cover over and blot out older features, and are therefore almost certainly the result of icy lava washing over the previous landscape. The plains are dotted with pits, such as Leviathan Patera, which are probably the vents from which this lava emerged. The composition of the lava is unknown, although a mixture of ammonia and water is suspected. Four roughly circular `` walled plains '' have been identified on Triton. They are the flattest regions so far discovered, with a variance in altitude of less than 200 m. They are thought to have formed from eruption of icy lava. The plains near Triton 's eastern limb are dotted with black spots, the maculae. Some maculae are simple dark spots with diffuse boundaries, and others comprise a dark central patch surrounded by a white halo with sharp boundaries. The maculae typically have diameters of about 100 km and widths of the halos of between 20 and 30 km. There are extensive ridges and valleys in complex patterns across Triton 's surface, probably the result of freeze -- thaw cycles. Many also appear to be tectonic in nature and may result from extension or strike - slip faulting. There are long double ridges of ice with central troughs bearing a strong resemblance to Europan lineae ( although they have a larger scale ), and which may have a similar origin, possibly shear heating from strike - slip motion along faults caused by diurnal tidal stresses experienced before Triton 's orbit was fully circularized. These faults with parallel ridges expelled from the interior cross complex terrain with valleys in the equatorial region. The ridges and furrows, or sulci, such as Yasu Sulci, Ho Sulci, and Lo Sulci, are thought to be of intermediate age in Triton 's geological history, and in many cases to have formed concurrently. They tend to be clustered in groups or `` packets ''. Cantaloupe terrain Cantaloupe terrain viewed from 130,000 km by Voyager 2, with crosscutting Europa - like double ridges. Slidr Sulci ( vertical ) and Tano Sulci form the prominent `` X ''. Triton 's western hemisphere consists of a strange series of fissures and depressions known as `` cantaloupe terrain '' because of its resemblance to the skin of a cantaloupe melon. Although it has few craters, it is thought that this is the oldest terrain on Triton. It probably covers much of Triton 's western half. Cantaloupe terrain, which is mostly dirty water ice, is only known to exist on Triton. It contains depressions 30 -- 40 km in diameter. The depressions ( cavi ) are probably not impact craters because they are all of similar size and have smooth curves. The leading hypothesis for their formation is diapirism, the rising of `` lumps '' of less dense material through a stratum of denser material. Alternative hypotheses include formation by collapses, or by flooding caused by cryovolcanism. Impact craters Tuonela Planitia ( left ) and Ruach Planitia ( center ) are two of Triton 's cryovolcanic `` walled plains ''. The paucity of craters is evidence of extensive, relatively recent, geologic activity. Due to constant erasure and modification by ongoing geological activity, impact craters on Triton 's surface are relatively rare. A census of Triton 's craters imaged by Voyager 2 found only 179 that were incontestably of impact origin, compared with 835 observed for Uranus 's moon Miranda, which has only three percent of Triton 's surface area. The largest crater observed on Triton thought to have been created by an impact is a 27 km - diameter feature called Mazomba. Although larger craters have been observed, they are generally thought to be volcanic in nature. The few impact craters on Triton are almost all concentrated in the leading hemisphere -- that facing the direction of the orbital motion -- with the majority concentrated around the equator between 30 ° and 70 ° longitude, resulting from material swept up from orbit around Neptune. Because it orbits with one side permanently facing the planet, astronomers expect that Triton should have fewer impacts on its trailing hemisphere, due to impacts on the leading hemisphere being more frequent and more violent. Voyager 2 imaged only 40 % of Triton 's surface, so this remains uncertain. Observation and exploration Neptune ( top ) and Triton ( bottom ) three days after Voyager 2 's flyby The orbital properties of Triton were already determined with high accuracy in the 19th century. It was found to have a retrograde orbit, at a very high angle of inclination to the plane of Neptune 's orbit. The first detailed observations of Triton were not made until 1930. Little was known about the satellite until Voyager 2 flew by in 1989. Before the flyby of Voyager 2, astronomers suspected that Triton might have liquid nitrogen seas and a nitrogen / methane atmosphere with a density as much as 30 % that of Earth. Like the famous overestimates of the atmospheric density of Mars, this proved incorrect. As with Mars, a denser atmosphere is postulated for its early history. The first attempt to measure the diameter of Triton was made by Gerard Kuiper in 1954. He obtained a value of 3,800 km. Subsequent measurement attempts arrived at values ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 km, or from slightly smaller than the Moon ( 3474.2 km ) to nearly half the diameter of Earth. Data from the approach of Voyager 2 to Neptune on August 25, 1989, led to a more accurate estimate of Triton 's diameter ( 2,706 km ). In the 1990s, various observations from Earth were made of the limb of Triton using the occultation of nearby stars, which indicated the presence of an atmosphere and an exotic surface. Observations in late 1997 suggests that Triton is heating up and the atmosphere has become significantly denser than when Voyager 2 flew past in 1989. New concepts for missions to the Neptune system to be conducted in the 2010s have been brought forward by NASA scientists on numerous occasions over the last decades. All of them identified Triton as being a prime target and a separate Triton lander comparable to the Huygens probe for Titan was frequently included in those plans. No efforts aimed at Neptune and Triton went beyond the proposal phase and NASA 's funding on missions to the outer Solar System is currently focused on the Jupiter and Saturn systems. A proposed lander mission to Triton, called Triton Hopper, would mine nitrogen ice from the surface of Triton and process it to be used as small rocket propellant and fly or ' hop ' across the surface. On 5 October 2017 Triton occulted the star UCAC4 410 - 143659. Maps Enhanced - color map ; leading hemisphere is on right Enhanced - color polar maps ; south is right See also Solar System portal Astronomy portal List of natural satellites List of geological features on Triton Neptune in fiction Triton Hopper, a proposed lander to Triton Triton 's sky Notes Jump up ^ Photomosaic of Triton 's sub-Neptunian hemisphere. The bright, slightly pinkish, south polar cap at bottom is composed of nitrogen and methane ice and is streaked by dust deposits left by nitrogen gas geysers. The mostly darker region above it includes Triton 's `` cantaloupe terrain '' and cryovolcanic and tectonic features. Near the lower right limb are several dark maculae ( `` strange spots '' ). Jump up ^ Calculated on the basis of other parameters. Jump up ^ Surface area derived from the radius r : 4 π r 2 ( displaystyle 4 pi r ^ ( 2 ) ). Jump up ^ Volume v derived from the radius r : 4 3 π r 3 ( displaystyle ( \frac ( 4 ) ( 3 ) ) pi r ^ ( 3 ) ). Jump up ^ Mass m derived from the density d and the volume v : m = d × v ( displaystyle m = d \times v ). Jump up ^ Surface gravity derived from the mass m, the gravitational constant g and the radius r : g m r 2 ( displaystyle ( \frac ( gm ) ( r ^ ( 2 ) ) ) ). Jump up ^ Escape velocity derived from the mass m, the gravitational constant g and the radius r : 2 g m / r ( displaystyle ( sqrt ( 2gm / r ) ) ). Jump up ^ Largest irregular moons : Saturn 's Phoebe ( 210 km ), Uranus 's Sycorax ( 150 km ), and Jupiter 's Himalia ( 85 km ) Jump up ^ Mass of Triton : 2.14 × 10 kg. Combined mass of 12 other known moons of Neptune : 7.53 × 10 kg, or 0.35 %. The mass of the rings is negligible. Jump up ^ The masses of other spherical moons are : Titania -- 3.5 × 10, Oberon -- 3.0 × 10, Rhea -- 2.3 × 10, Iapetus -- 1.8 × 10, Charon -- 1.5 × 10, Ariel -- 1.3 × 10, Umbriel -- 1.2 × 10, Dione -- 1.0 × 10, Tethys -- 0.6 × 10, Enceladus -- 0.12 × 10, Miranda -- 0.06 × 10, Proteus -- 0.05 × 10, Mimas -- 0.04 × 10. The total mass of remaining moons is about 0.09 × 10. So, the total mass of all moons smaller than Triton is about 1.65 × 10. ( See List of moons by diameter ) References ^ Jump up to : Williams, David R. ( November 23, 2006 ). `` Neptunian Satellite Fact Sheet ''. NASA. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved January 18, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Overbye, Dennis ( November 5, 2014 ). `` Bound for Pluto, Carrying Memories of Triton ''. New York Times. Retrieved November 5, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Jacobson, R.A. -- AJ ( April 3, 2009 ). `` Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters ''. JPL satellite ephemeris. JPL ( Solar System Dynamics ). 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( March 1993 ). `` A structural origin for the cantaloupe terrain of Triton ''. In Lunar and Planetary Inst., Twenty - fourth Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Part 1 : A-F ( SEE N94 - 12015 01 - 91 ). 24 : 165 -- 66. Bibcode : 1993LPI... 24... 165B. Jump up ^ Schenk, P. ; Jackson, M.P.A. ( April 1993 ). `` Diapirism on Triton : A record of crustal layering and instability ''. Geology. 21 ( 4 ) : 299 -- 302. Bibcode : 1993Geo... 21... 299S. doi : 10.1130 / 0091 - 7613 ( 1993 ) 021 < 0299 : DOTARO > 2.3.CO ; 2. ^ Jump up to : Strom, Robert G. ; Croft, Steven K. ; Boyce, Joseph M. ( 1990 ). `` The Impact Cratering Record on Triton ''. Science. 250 ( 4979 ) : 437 -- 39. Bibcode : 1990Sci... 250... 437S. doi : 10.1126 / science. 250.4979. 437. PMID 17793023. Jump up ^ Ingersoll, Andrew P. ; Tryka, Kimberly A. ( 1990 ). `` Triton 's Plumes : The Dust Devil Hypothesis ''. Science. 250 ( 4979 ) : 435 -- 437. Bibcode : 1990Sci... 250... 435I. doi : 10.1126 / science. 250.4979. 435. 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Jump up ^ Becky Ferreira, Why We Should Use This Jumping Robot to Explore Neptune, Motherboard, August 28, 2015 / / 08 : 00 AM EST ( Retrieved September 14, 2014 ) Jump up ^ Steven Oleson ( 7 May 2015 ). `` Triton Hopper : Exploring Neptune 's Captured Kuiper Belt Object ''. NASA Glenn Research Center. Retrieved 11 February 2017. Jump up ^ `` Occultation of UCAC4 410 - 143659 ''. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Triton ( moon ). Triton profile at NASA 's Solar System Exploration site Voyager 2 Encounters Neptune and Triton ( 1989 ) on YouTube Triton page at The Nine Planets Triton page ( including labelled Triton map ) at Views of the Solar System Triton map from Paul Schenk, Lunar and Planetary Institute Triton images from the NASA / JPL Photojournal Triton nomenclature from the USGS Planetary Nomenclature website Moons of Neptune Generally listed in increasing distance from Neptune Regular ( inner ) Naiad Thalassa Despina Galatea Larissa Neptune XIV Proteus Triton Triton ( Atmosphere Geological features Sky ) Irregular Nereid Halimede Sao Laomedeia Psamathe Neso See also Neptune trojans Rings of Neptune Book Category Portal Neptune Outline of Neptune Geography Great Dark Spot Small Dark Spot Rings Moons Despina Galatea Halimede Laomedeia Larissa Naiad Neptune XIV Nereid Neso Proteus Psamathe Sao Thalassa Triton Astronomy Discovery Urbain Le Verrier Johann Gottfried Galle John Couch Adams Heinrich Louis d'Arrest William Lassell General Kuiper belt Neptune - crossing minor planets Trojans 2001 QR 2004 KV 2004 UP 2005 TN 2005 TO 2006 RJ 2007 VL 2008 LC 2011 HM Exploration Past Voyager 2 ( 1989 flyby ) Proposals ODINUS Triton Hopper Argo Cancelled Mariner Mark II Neptune Orbiter New Horizons 2 Related Fiction Mythology Book Category Portal Natural satellites of the Solar System Planetary satellites Terrestrial Martian Jovian Saturnian Uranian Neptunian Other satellites Minor - planet moons Plutonian Haumean Makemakean Eridian Largest satellites ( mean radius ≥ 100 km ) size Ganymede largest / 2634 km / 0.413 Earths Titan Callisto Io Moon Europa Triton Titania Rhea Oberon Iapetus Charon Umbriel Ariel Dione Tethys ( Dysnomia ) Enceladus Miranda Proteus Mimas ( Hi'iaka ) Nereid Hyperion Phoebe abc 's Ariel Callisto Charon Dione ( Dysnomia ) Enceladus Europa Ganymede ( Hi'iaka ) Hyperion Iapetus Io Mimas Miranda Moon Nereid Oberon Phoebe Proteus Rhea Tethys Titan Titania Triton Umbriel Discovery timeline Inner moons Irregular moons List Naming Moonmoon Regular moons Trojan moons NOTE : Italicized moons are not close to being in hydrostatic equilibrium ; ( bracketed ) moons may or may not be close to being in hydrostatic equilibrium. Dwarf planets Asteroid belt IAU : Ceres No longer rounded and therefore no longer dwarf planets ( Vesta ) Centaurs Possibly : Chariklo Chiron Centaurs ( extended ) Possibly : 1995 SN 55 ( lost ) Ceto 2010 TY 53 Plutinos IAU : Pluto Additional objects proposed by Brown and Tancredi : Orcus Ixion 2003 AZ 2004 UX Huya Possibly : 2003 UZ 2003 VS 2002 VR 2004 PF 2002 XV 93 2007 JH 43 2001 QF 298 Twotinos Possibly : 2002 WC Other resonances / unknown resonances : IAU : Haumea Possibly : 2002 XW 1999 DE 1999 KR 2001 YH 2011 GM 27 2010 VK 201 2013 FZ 27 2014 UM 33 1999 CD 158 Cubewanos : IAU : Makemake Additional objects proposed by Brown and Tancredi : 2002 MS Salacia Quaoar Varuna Varda 2004 GV 2002 AW 2002 TX 2005 RR 2003 OP 2005 RN Possibly : Chaos Altjira Sila - Nunam 2002 UX 2007 JJ 2005 UQ 2004 TY 2003 QW 1998 SN 2002 KX Praamzius 2004 NT 2010 FX 86 2002 CY 248 2010 VR 11 Rhadamanthus Scattered disc IAU : Eris Additional objects proposed by Brown and Tancredi : 2007 OR 1996 TL 2001 UR 2005 RM Possibly : 2002 TC 2004 XA 2005 QU 2006 QH 181 2007 UK 2010 EK 139 2010 KZ 39 2010 RE 64 2010 RF 43 2010 TJ 2013 FY 27 2008 OG 19 1996 GQ 2012 HH 1999 CC 2010 VZ 98 Area uncertain Captured satellites that were once dwarf planets : Triton ( captured by Neptune ) Phoebe ( captured by Saturn, and no longer rounded ) Possibly : 2011 FW 62 ( lost ) 2000 YW V774104 Detached objects Possibly : 2004 XR 190 2010 GB 174 2008 ST 291 1995 TL 2005 TB 2003 QX 113 2003 FY 2004 VN 112 2000 CR Sednoids Objects proposed by Brown and Tancredi : Sedna Possibly : 2012 VP 113 See also : Charon Vanth Dysnomia Hiʻiaka Mesoplanet Planemo List of trans - Neptunian objects List of possible dwarf planets List of Solar System objects List of Solar System objects by size WorldCat Identities GND : 4427459 - 2 LCCN : sh95005759 VIAF : 241849529 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Triton_(moon)&oldid=866366314 '' Categories : Triton ( moon ) Former dwarf planets Astronomical objects discovered in 1846 Objects observed by stellar occultation Hidden categories : CS1 : Julian -- Gregorian uncertainty Webarchive template webcite links Use mdy dates from November 2014 Featured articles Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Arpetan Azərbaycanca تۆرکجه বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Беларуская ( тарашкевіца ) ‎ Български Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Чӑвашла Čeština Corsu Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Hrvatski Ido Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Коми Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Кыргызча Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Lumbaart Magyar മലയാളം मराठी Bahasa Melayu Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ Mirandés မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu සිංහල Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் ไทย Türkçe Türkmençe Українська Tiếng Việt 文言 Winaray 粵語 中文 74 more Edit links This page was last edited on 29 October 2018, at 22 : 25 ( UTC ). 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Question: how are saturn's moon titan and neptune's triton similar
Answer: geologically active