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The Moons of Neptune

Name Discoverer Diameter Distance from Neptune Orbital Period (days)
Naiad Voyager 2, 1989 60 km/37 mi 48,000 km/29,800 mi 0.30
Thalassa Voyager 2, 1989 80 km/50 mi 50,000 km/31,100 mi 0.31
Despina Voyager 2, 1989 150 km/ 93 mi 52,500 km/32,600 mi 0.33
Galatea Voyager 2, 1989 160 km/99 mi 62.000 km/38,500 mi 0.43
Larissa Voyager 2, 1989 190 km/118 mi 73,600 km/45,700 mi 0.55
Proteus Voyager 2, 1989 420 km/261 mi 117,600 km/73,100 mi 1.12
Triton Lassell, 1846 2,700 km/1,678 mi 354,800 km/220,500 mi 5.88
Nereid Kuiper, 1949 340 km/211 mi 5,513,400 km/3,426,000 mi 365.21

Triton

G-NEPT_P34764triton.T.gif (13663 bytes)
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NASA Press Release #P34764

During its flyby on August 25, 1989, Voyager 2 discovered 6 new moons of Neptune, and returned this view of Triton, Neptune's largest moon. Long grooves and dark patches indicate a complex history of the moon, and the light pink color of the south polar region may result from gradual evaporation of nitrogen ice.

 

Geysers On Triton

G-NEPT_P34940triton.T.gif (6321 bytes)
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NASA Press Release #P34940

Geysers caused by jets of nitrogen occur on Triton. The narrow cloud of dark material shown here is being ejected about 8km (5 mi) high, before being carried 150 km (90 mi) westward in the thin atmosphere of Triton. Markers on the image at the bottom show the vent region (left) and the plume in the atmosphere (right).

 

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