An ancient moonpocalypse may explain Neptune’s odd moon Nereid
Recent research suggests that Neptune's moon Nereid may have originated from an ancient moonpocalypse rather than the Kuiper Belt. The study indicates that Nereid was initially in a stable orbit before being thrown into its current elongated path by a collision with a Pluto-sized body. This challenges previous assumptions about the moon's formation and orbit.
- ▪Nereid may be the last remnant of a catastrophic event involving Neptune's original moons.
- ▪The study proposes that Nereid was formed in a circular orbit around Neptune before being disrupted.
- ▪This new theory contradicts the belief that Nereid came from the Kuiper Belt.
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| Original publisher | Science News |
| Canonical URL | https://www.sciencenews.org/article/neptunes-odd-moon-nereid-orbit-remnant |
| Publication time | Wed, 20 May 2026 18:00:00 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-20T18:05:02.970Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-20T18:05:02.970Z |
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| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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| Commercial reuse | May the content be reused commercially? | Not permitted |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
News Planetary Science An ancient moonpocalypse may explain Neptune’s odd moon Nereid New findings suggest Nereid may not have come into Neptune’s orbit from the Kuiper Belt NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured Neptune and its rings and inner moons in 2022. These moons could be made of the pulverized remains of Neptune’s original moons. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale/STScI, Naomi Rowe-Gurney/NASA-GSFC By Lisa Grossman 39 seconds ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Neptune’s moon Nereid may be the sole survivor of an ancient moonpocalypse.
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