Triton

Triton is the largest satellite of Neptune and, due to its retrograde orbit, is considered to be a captured object. Its most recognizable feature is the 'cantaloupe skin' terrain found in the western hemisphere. As a whole, the surface is relatively young with few impact craters and shows signs of cryovolcanism and tectonism. In the lab, we focus on understanding the relationship between carbon monoxide and nitrogen on the satellite, especially the cause of the carbon monoxide-nitrogen combination band found in IR spectra of Triton.