Why does Triton orbit Neptune backward?
Quick Answer
Triton is likely a captured object from the Kuiper Belt, not a moon that formed with Neptune. Its retrograde orbit suggests it was pulled in later.
The Full Story
Most large moons form around their planets and orbit in the same direction as the planet's rotation. Triton is unusual because it orbits Neptune in the opposite direction, which is called a retrograde orbit. The leading explanation is that Triton formed elsewhere, probably in the Kuiper Belt, and was captured by Neptune's gravity. After capture, its orbit gradually circularised, but it remained backward. Triton's strange orbit is a clue to a violent early history in the outer Solar System.
Key Facts
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Neptune’s biggest moon is orbiting the wrong way — and that’s the clue!"
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