What planet has 4 moons around it?

Neptune: More Than Just a Pretty Blue Face – It’s Got Moons!

Okay, so when you think of planets with tons of moons, Jupiter and Saturn probably spring to mind first, right? But don’t count out Neptune! This icy giant way out in the solar system also has a fascinating family of moons hanging around. Sure, it doesn’t have quite as many as Jupiter (with its crazy 95 moons!) or Saturn (sporting a respectable 83), but Neptune’s 16 known moons are a pretty interesting bunch, each with its own story to tell.

Now, if you’re thinking of a planet with “four moons,” you’re probably thinking of Neptune’s original crew: Triton, Nereid, Naiad, and Proteus. Back in the day, after Neptune was first spotted, these were the only moons we knew about for quite a while. They’re kind of like the “OG” moons of Neptune, even though we’ve discovered a whole lot more since then.

Let’s Meet the Family: Neptune’s Notable Moons

• Triton: This is the big cheese of Neptune’s moons, no question. William Lassell snagged the discovery way back in 1846, just a couple of weeks after Neptune itself was found. What makes Triton so special? Well, for starters, it orbits Neptune backward! Scientists think that means Neptune probably snatched it from the Kuiper Belt at some point. Plus, it’s geologically active – can you imagine volcanoes erupting with ice instead of lava? And get this: it’s seriously cold, like -235 degrees Celsius cold!

• Nereid: The second moon to be discovered, Nereid, found by Gerard Kuiper in 1949, is a bit of an oddball. Its orbit is super eccentric, meaning it swings wildly close to and far away from Neptune. Some folks even think Nereid might be another captured object, or maybe Triton’s capture messed up its orbit. It’s like the moon that can’t decide where it wants to be!

• Proteus: This is Neptune’s second-largest moon and the biggest of the inner moons, but it’s not exactly winning any beauty contests. Voyager 2 spotted it in 1989. Because it hangs out so close to Neptune, the glare from the sun bouncing off Neptune kept it hidden from our telescopes here on Earth. Proteus is a lumpy, bumpy, cratered mess, and it’s one of the darkest things we’ve ever seen in the solar system.

• Naiad: Last but not least, we have Naiad, the innermost moon. Voyager 2 found this one too. It’s another irregularly shaped moon, and it zips around Neptune faster than Neptune even rotates! Talk about a quick trip. The bad news? Naiad’s orbit is slowly falling apart, so it might eventually crash into Neptune or break up and form a brand-new ring.

Voyager 2: The Game Changer

Before Voyager 2 swung by Neptune in 1989, we only knew about Triton and Nereid. That flyby was a total game-changer! We discovered five more inner moons: Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Galatea, and Proteus. Then, in the early 2000s, some clever astronomers using telescopes here on Earth found five more of those outer, irregular moons. And the most recent addition to the family was spotted in 2013. Now we’re up to 16 moons in total!

The Story Continues…

We’re still learning new things about Neptune’s moons all the time. They’re a weird and wonderful bunch, and their strange orbits and different personalities give us clues about how planetary systems form and change over time. So, while you might have thought of Neptune as just having those “four moons,” the real story is way more interesting and complex than that!