Current Events

  • Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm
    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm rep...Read more

    x

    Atmospheric CO2 Level Tops 400 ppm

    During the week of May 13th, the CO2 level at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii topped 400 ppm repeatedly. Daily levels of CO2 can vary due to weather, and there are seasonal trends as well. The level of atmospheric greenhouse gases continues to increase, now over 120 ppm since the Industrial Revolution began. For more on the Keeling Curve, see http://keelingcurve.ucsd.edu/. Find out more about greenhouse gases and warming.
  • Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley
    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Io...Read more

    x

    Massive Tornado Outbreak on Tornado Alley

    The week of May 19 brings dozens of tornadoes to Tornado Alley in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri. On May 20th, a massive tornado struck Moore, Oklahoma, devastating communities - destroying over 100 homes and hitting two elementary schools and a hospital - with many casualties and deaths. Our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues suffering from these storms. For more on the May 20th storms, see the NOAA Storm Prediction Center Storm Report.
  • Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education
    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of ...Read more

    x

    Kansas Legislator Proposes Bill to Outlaw Sustainability Education

    A bill has been introduced in the Kansas legislature this week that would prohibit the promotion of sustainability. Here is a link to the one-page bill: http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hb2366_00_0000.pdf. See report on Bloomberg News.
This is an image of Triton.
Image from: NASA

Triton Interior

The diagram to the left shows a cutaway of the possible interior structure of Triton. The composition of Triton is mostly ice, therefore there is probably a small core of some rocky material buried inside, overlain with mantles of ice of various phases. One of the phases of ice is water however, and if water is present it could provide and environment suitable forlife.

If the interior is warm enough, there may be enough energy for interior convection, or the turning over of layers inside Triton. This type of interior motion leaves clues on the surface of a planet, such as folds and deep crevaces. Surface plate tectonics is a big clue about interior motions of the Earth.

The fact that this moon is made primarily of ice suggests a certain path for it's evolution.

Last modified April 22, 2009 by Randy Russell.

Shop Windows to the Universe Science Store!

Our online store includes books on science education, ranging from evolution, classroom research, and the need for science and math literacy!

Windows to the Universe Community

News

Opportunities

You might also be interested in:

Science, Evolution, and Creationism

How did life evolve on Earth? The answer to this question can help us understand our past and prepare for our future. Although evolution provides credible and reliable answers, polls show that many people turn away from science, seeking other explanations with which they are more comfortable....more

Triton Composition

Composition is generally determined by detailed measurements of the spectra of an object. Spectral measurements of the surface of Triton reveal the presence not only of ice but of several different kinds...more

There are Nine Different Kinds of Ice

The phase of ice means the form of ice which takes shape. There are nine different kinds of shapes the ice crystal can assume. It all depends upon what temperature the ice feels, and what pressure the...more

Life on Triton?

Triton is a little bit like Jupiter's moon Europa, and a little bit like Saturn's moon Titan. There is a very thin atmosphere which is a bit like Titan's. It is very cold, about -300 degrees. Like the...more

Surface of Triton

This gorgeous image of Triton reveals many interesting features of its surface. The surface of Triton is halfway between that of Ganymede and that of Europa, of the Galilean satellites. There are portions...more

Triton

Triton was discovered by W. Lassell in 1846. Of the 8 moons, it is the 2nd farthest from Neptune, with a standoff distance of 354,800 km. Triton may be one of the largest of the icy moons, is comparable...more

Triton Interior

The diagram to the left shows a cutaway of the possible interior structure of Triton. The composition of Triton is mostly ice, therefore there is probably a small core of some rocky material buried inside,...more

The Poles of Triton

Triton is by far the largest moon of Neptune, and is one of the most unusual large moons in the Solar System. The poles of Triton are especially interesting. Triton has a frozen polar cap with ice geysers....more

Shop Windows to the Universe

Hands On Mineral Identification helps you to identify over 14,500 minerals! By M. Darby Dyar, Ph.D. See our DVD collection.

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation and NASA, our Founding Partners (the American Geophysical Union and American Geosciences Institute) as well as through Institutional, Contributing, and Affiliate Partners, individual memberships and generous donors. Thank you for your support! NASA AGU AGI NSF