Moon of Neptune
Nereid
Nereid is a moon. It orbits Neptune. It is about 340 km across – about as wide as Switzerland. Nereid has one of the most elongated orbits of any moon: its distance from Neptune varies between 1.4 and 9.7 million km.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Neptune
- Diameter
- 340 km
- Distance from Neptune
- 5,513,400 km
- Orbital period
- 360.1 days
- Temperature
- -222 °C on average
Nereid orbits Neptune.
Interesting facts about Nereid
- Nereid has one of the most elongated orbits of any moon: its distance from Neptune varies between 1.4 and 9.7 million km.
- It takes almost a year (360 days) to complete one orbit.
- The photo shows the best image there is – Voyager 2 saw it only from 4.7 million km away.
Frequently asked questions about Nereid
How big is Nereid?
Nereid has a diameter of 340 km. That is about 9.8% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Nereid from Neptune?
Nereid orbits Neptune at an average distance of 5.5 million km.
How long does Nereid take to orbit Neptune?
Nereid orbits Neptune once every 360.1 days.
How cold or warm is it on Nereid?
On Nereid the average temperature is −222 °C.
Formation
Probably a captured body – or a moon whose orbit was thrown into disarray when Triton was captured.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Discovered in 1949 by Gerard Kuiper, photographed in 1989 by Voyager 2.
Compared with Earth
Around 340 km across.
Other moons of Neptune
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