Triton (moon)

Triton

Triton (trye'-tən, IPA: [ˈtraɪtn̩], Greek Τρίτων), or Neptune I, is the largest moon of the planet Neptune. It is the seventh largest moon in the Solar System. Triton has a complicated geological history and it is thought to have a comparatively young surface compared to the age of the Solar System itself. It was discovered by the British astronomer William Lassell on October 10, 1846, just 17 days after Neptune itself was discovered by the German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle and Heinrich Louis d'Arrest. Triton believed to be a captured Kuiper Belt object, and is the coldest known body in the Solar System. The surface temperature of Triton was recoreded by Voyager 2 as -235°C (-391°F).

Triton is also falling into a lowering orbit.^[source?] In about one billion years, Triton is calculated that it will either collide into Neptune's atmosphere, or break up into ring systems similar to those patterns of Saturn's.^[source?]

References and sources

• Sir Patrick Moore (2003). Atlas of the Universe. Great Britain: Philips'. ISBN 978-0-540-08242-1.

Other websites

• Triton Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
• Triton