Author Question: What are the two largest moons of Neptune and what makes them peculiar objects in our Solar System? ... (Read 115 times)

nautica902

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 591
What are the two largest moons of Neptune and what makes them peculiar objects in our Solar System?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What are the two largest moons of Neptune and what makes them peculiar objects in our Solar System?
 
  What will be an ideal response?



anyusername12131

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 327
Answer to Question 1

The two largest moons, Triton and Nereid, have been a puzzle for years because of their peculiar orbits. Triton has a nearly circular orbit, but it travels retrogradeclockwise as seen from the north. This makes Triton the only large satellite in the Solar System with a backward orbit; all other retrograde satellites are very small. The other Neptunian satellite visible from Earth, Nereid, moves in the prograde direction, but its orbit is highly elliptical and very large. Nereid takes 359.4 days to orbit Neptune once. Triton is so cold (35 K) that it can hold a thin atmosphere. Triton is very efficient at absorbing sunlight. Its thin atmosphere does not dim sunlight, and its crust is composed of ices that are partially transparent to light. As the light penetrates into the ice and is absorbed, it warms the ices. However, the crust is not very transparent to infrared radiation, so the heat is trapped in the ice. So the crust of Triton appears to be heated, in part, by an icy form of the greenhouse effect.

Answer to Question 2

The two largest moons, Triton and Nereid, have been a puzzle for years because of their peculiar orbits. Triton has a nearly circular orbit, but it travels retrogradeclockwise as seen from the north. This makes Triton the only large satellite in the Solar System with a backward orbit; all other retrograde satellites are very small. The other Neptunian satellite visible from Earth, Nereid, moves in the prograde direction, but its orbit is highly elliptical and very large. Nereid takes 359.4 days to orbit Neptune once. Triton is so cold (35 K) that it can hold a thin atmosphere. Triton is very efficient at absorbing sunlight. Its thin atmosphere does not dim sunlight, and its crust is composed of ices that are partially transparent to light. As the light penetrates into the ice and is absorbed, it warms the ices. However, the crust is not very transparent to infrared radiation, so the heat is trapped in the ice. So the crust of Triton appears to be heated, in part, by an icy form of the greenhouse effect.



Related Topics

Need homework help now?

Ask unlimited questions for free

Ask a Question
 

Did you know?

Immunoglobulin injections may give short-term protection against, or reduce severity of certain diseases. They help people who have an inherited problem making their own antibodies, or those who are having certain types of cancer treatments.

Did you know?

Nearly 31 million adults in America have a total cholesterol level that is more than 240 mg per dL.

Did you know?

Asthma cases in Americans are about 75% higher today than they were in 1980.

Did you know?

In 1885, the Lloyd Manufacturing Company of Albany, New York, promoted and sold "Cocaine Toothache Drops" at 15 cents per bottle! In 1914, the Harrison Narcotic Act brought the sale and distribution of this drug under federal control.

Did you know?

If you could remove all of your skin, it would weigh up to 5 pounds.

For a complete list of videos, visit our video library