Moons of Neptune

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/moons-of-neptune

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the total known moons?14
2. What is the largest moon?Triton
3. What is Triton and why is it special?Triton is Neptune's biggest moon. It moves in the opposite direction of Neptune's spin, showing it was captured from the Kuiper Belt.
4. How did Triton get captured by Neptune?Neptune's strong gravity pulled Triton in from the Kuiper Belt. The capture likely knocked out older moons and created many small irregular moons.

Retrograde Orbit: An orbit in the opposite direction of the primary body's rotation, indicative of capture events.
Kuiper Belt: A circumstellar disc of icy bodies located beyond the orbit of Neptune.
Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between gravitational forces and internal pressure that shapes celestial bodies into spheres.
Cryovolcanism: Volcanic activity that erupts volatile substances such as water, ammonia, or methane, instead of molten rock.