This is a picture of Nereid.
Image from: NASA

Nereid

Nereid was discovered by G. Kuiper in 1949. Of the 8 moons it is the farthest from Neptune, with a standoff distance of 5,513,400 km. Nereid is one of the small moons, and is about as long as the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco with a diameter of 340 km (226 mi). As a small moon, the composition and surface features are unknown.

Shown in the picture above is Nereid. This is the best picture we have of this small moon!

Last modified November 13, 2000 by Jennifer Bergman.

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

Neptune's Moons and Rings

Neptune has // Call the moon count function defined in the document head print_moon_count('neptune'); moons. As is the case with all of the gas giant planets in our Solar System, it also has a series of...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 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

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

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

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

An Overview of Neptune's Atmospheric Composition

The atmosphere of Neptune is very similar to that of Uranus, and unlike that of Saturn and Jupiter. On Jupiter and Saturn, the atmosphere is mostly composed of the simple molecules hydrogen and helium....more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA