Neptune's largest moon orbits backward
Triton, Neptune's largest moon, orbits backward, hinting it was captured from the Kuiper Belt, a rare phenomenon offering clues about our solar system's chaotic past.
Triton, Neptune's biggest moon, orbits the planet in a retrograde path, meaning it moves opposite to Neptune's rotation and most other moons. This unusual trajectory, confirmed by NASA's Voyager 2, suggests Triton wasn't formed with Neptune but was gravitationally captured. Scientists believe it originated in the distant Kuiper Belt billions of years ago, an event that likely reshaped Neptune's original satellite system. This capture offers crucial insights into the chaotic early solar system. Adding to its intrigue, Triton is geologically active, with nitrogen geysers spewing plumes up to 8 kilometers high, making it one of the few moons with cryovolcanism.