Part 10/14:
Unlike regular moons, Triton orbits in a clockwise direction while Neptune spins counterclockwise, indicating it was likely captured rather than formed in situ. Its surface bears nitrogen ice, methane, and water, with reddish patches caused by organic compounds called tholins—a result of irradiation by sunlight, similar to Pluto.
Beneath its icy crust probable lies a subsurface ocean, kept warm by radioactive decay and possibly cryovolcanism—geological activity where water and other volatiles erupt through the crust like lava. Evidence of geysers and active surface renewal suggests that Triton could be a candidate in the search for potentially habitable environments beyond Earth.