Neptune's mysterious moon Nereid may be an original companion
AP News • • science
Key Points:
- Neptune’s moon Nereid is likely the last surviving original moon of the planet, having escaped destruction during the capture of the large moon Triton billions of years ago.
- Using NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, scientists found Nereid’s icy composition differs from Kuiper Belt objects, indicating it formed alongside Neptune rather than migrating from the outer solar system.
- Nereid’s highly elliptical orbit, taking nearly an Earth year to circle Neptune, supports the theory that it was pushed outward by Triton’s disruptive arrival.
- The study, published in Science Advances, suggests Neptune’s current inner moons formed from the remnants of original moons destroyed by Triton’s capture.
- Despite these findings, a spacecraft visit to Neptune could provide definitive insights, but no missions to the planet are currently planned.