Cosmos4Kids.com Home Link to Universe Link to Galaxies Link to Stars Link to Solar System Link to Exploration Link to Activities
Cosmos4Kids.comWallpapers
 

Global Color Mosaic of Triton


Neptune's Moon Triton

This is a global mosaic of Triton, taken in 1989 by Voyager 2 during its flyby of the Neptune system. With a radius of 1,350 (839 mi), about 22% smaller than Earth's moon, Triton is by far the largest satellite of Neptune. It is one of only three objects in the Solar System known to have a nitrogen-dominated atmosphere (the others are Earth and Saturn's giant moon, Titan). Triton has the coldest surface known anywhere in the Solar System (38 K, about -391 degrees Fahrenheit); it is so cold that most of Triton's nitrogen is condensed as frost, making it the only satellite in the Solar System known to have a surface made mainly of nitrogen ice.

The pinkish deposits constitute a vast south polar cap believed to contain methane ice, which would have reacted under sunlight to form pink or red compounds. The dark streaks overlying these pink ices are believed to be an icy and perhaps carbonaceous dust deposited from huge geyser-like plumes, some of which were found to be active during the Voyager 2 flyby.

The Voyager spacecrafts were launched in 1977 and passed by all of the gas giants including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Both spacecraft are now speeding towards the edges of our solar system and still sending back data.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Download Wallpaper: 800 x 600 | 1024 x 768

Return to galleries: Earth | Solar System | Stars & Galaxies | Spaceflight & Spacecraft



RELATED LINKS
- Cosmos4Kids: Solar System
- Cosmos4Kids: Neptune

- NASA: Home Page
- NASA: Voyager Mission Home Page
- NASA: Jet Propulsion Laboratory


 
- Home Page
- Real World Ex.
> Activities
- Site Map
- Site Tour
- Help Topics

Custom Search

* The custom search only looks at Rader's sites.


Link to Cosmos4Kids.com Link to Biology4Kids.com Link to Chem4Kids.com Link to Geography4Kids.com Link to Physics4Kids.com Link to NumberNut.com Rader Network Side Navigation

 

Go to Help Page Go for site help or list of astronomy topics at the site map!
©copyright 1997-2010 Andrew Rader Studios, All rights reserved.
Current Page: Cosmos4Kids.com | Activities & Quizzes | Solar System Wallpaper

 

** Andrew Rader Studios does not monitor or review the content available at these web sites. They are paid advertisements and neither partners nor recommeded web sites.