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- Observers can easily watch Triton circle about Neptune from one night to the next during its 5.9-day period. This panel shows the moon's positions (south up) around 10 p.m. CDT on the nights shown. Trtion's separation from Neptune varies from about 10″ to 17″.
skyandtelescope.org/observing/neptune-and-its-maverick-moon082620152608-triton/
It is the only moon of Neptune massive enough to be rounded under its own gravity and hosts a thin but well-structured atmosphere. Triton orbits Neptune in a retrograde orbit—revolving in the opposite direction to the parent planet's rotation—the only large moon in the Solar System to do so.
Sep 1, 2017 · Triton, Neptune's largest moon, is a tricky find. Our Triton Tracker observing tool can help users of moderate to large telescopes spot this distant moon.
Sep 15, 2023 · The outer solar system contains a striking crime scene with a big mystery: How did Neptune get a moon like Triton?
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.
- Discovery
- Overview
- How Triton Got Its Name
Triton was discovered on Oct. 10, 1846 by British astronomer William Lassell, just 17 days after Neptune itself was discovered.
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. It shares many similarities with Pluto, the best know...
Triton is named after the son of Poseidon (the Greek god comparable to the Roman Neptune). Until the discovery of the second moon Nereid in 1949, Triton was commonly known as simply "the satellite of Neptune."
Sep 21, 2022 · Triton, the largest moon of Neptune, almost looks like a star in the new Webb images, with its bright diffraction spikes. Triton is an unusual satellite. It’s covered in frozen nitrogen,...
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Is Triton a native moon of Neptune?
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When will we see Neptune & Triton?
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Is Neptune's moon Triton a NASA mission?
Dec 20, 2022 · In JWST’s wide-field image of Neptune you can see its largest moon, Triton. Triton’s odd retrograde (backwards) and tilted orbit leads planetary scientists to speculate that this object is not a native moon of Neptune.
