This tidal dissipation is stronger for larger values of eccentricity, meaning it would have played a major role in heating Triton in the past. Triton likely originated in the Kuiper Belt - the ring of icy bodies beyond Neptune - and was sent hurtling inward until it was captured by Neptune’s gravity.īut tidal dissipation causes heat to be concentrated at the bottom of Triton's ice shell, which impedes the growth rate of the ice and effectively acts as a tidal-heated blanket. The early solar system was a place of dynamic violence, with many bodies changing orbits and crashing into each other. The retrograde orbit of Triton means that it most likely did not form around Neptune. These orbits are known as prograde, and a rogue object that orbits backward is said to be in a retrograde orbit. This disc circles the star in one direction, and thus most planets and their moons orbit in this same direction. Planets form from a circumstellar disc of dust and gas that surrounds a young star. Triton, which is about 1,680 miles (2,700 kilometers) wide, has a unique property among large solar system moons: a retrograde orbit. It is possible that a liquid ocean formed between the rocky core and icy surface shell, and scientists are investigating whether or not this ocean could have survived until now. As Triton’s density is quite high, it is suspected that the moon has a large core of silicate rock.
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