The Frozen Nitrogen Geysers and Retrograde Orbit of Neptunian Moon Triton
A World in Reverse: The Enigmatic Capture of Triton Triton, the largest of Neptune's fourteen known moons, stands as one of the most physically anomalous bodies in the Solar System. Unlike every other large moon in our planetary neighborhood, Triton orbits its parent planet in a retrograde direction—counter to Neptune's rotation. This orbital rebellion is the primary piece of evidence suggesting that Triton is not a native of the Neptunian system, but rather a captured Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) that was ensnared by Neptune's gravity billions of years ago. This gravitational capture likely resulted in a chaotic early history, where tidal forces melted the moon's interior, resetting its geological clock and forging the unique surface we observe today. The sheer scale of Triton is also noteworthy. With a diameter of approximately 2,706 kilometers, it is the seventh-largest moon in the Solar System, even surpas...