Atmosphere of Triton

The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA

It is unlikely that Triton has an atmosphere at all. Because there is little gravity, an icy moon such as Triton cannot hold onto an atmosphere for very long.

Triton may have an active surface, however, where geysers may open and produce fountains of liquid from inside the moon, which evaporate to form an atmosphere.

These molecules may float around a moon for a while, but because of the low gravity, whatever "atmosphere" may be created rapidly drifts away.

Return to moons

The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA

It is unlikely that Triton has an atmosphere at all. Because there is little gravity, an icy moon such as Triton cannot hold onto an atmosphere for very long.

Triton may have an active surface, however, where geysers may open and produce fountains of liquid from inside the moon, which evaporate to form an atmosphere.

These molecules may float around a moon for a while, but because of the low gravity, whatever "atmosphere" may be created rapidly drifts away.

Return to moons

The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA

Triton probably doesn't have an atmosphere at all. That is because there is little gravity, so an icy moon such as Triton cannot hold onto an atmosphere for very long.

Triton may have an active surface, however, where geysers may open and produce fountains of liquid from inside the moon, which evaporate to form an atmosphere.

These molecules may float around a moon for a while, but because of the low gravity, whatever "atmosphere" may be created rapidly drifts away.

Return to moons

Last modified November 19, 1997 by the Windows Team

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The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton Click on image for full size version (168K) Courtesy of NASA

The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton Click on image for full size version (168K) Courtesy of NASA

The Atmosphere of Triton

This is an image of Triton Click on image for full size version (168K) Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA

This is an image of Triton
Click on image for full size version (168K)
Courtesy of NASA