Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Solar system

Interplanetary kidnap

Nature volume 441, pages 162–163 (2006)Cite this article

Triton, Neptune's largest moon, was probably part of a two-body object similar to the Pluto–Charon system. This tandem might have been ripped apart when it strayed too close to the planet that Triton is now orbiting.

The neptunian moon Triton weighs in at 1.4 times the mass of Pluto, making it the largest irregularly orbiting satellite in the Solar System. So how did this kept giant come to be where it is? On page 192 of this issue1, Agnor and Hamilton advance a capture mechanism that, if correct, could have repercussions for the life stories of other, similar moons.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Imminent capture.

References

  1. Agnor, C. B. & Hamilton, D. P. Nature 441, 192–194 (2006).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Stern, S. A. Icarus 90, 271–281 (1991).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Hahn, J. M. & Malhotra, R. Astron. J. 117, 3041–3053 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Gomes, R. S., Morbidelli, A. & Levison, H. F. Icarus 170, 492–507 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Bernstein, G. M. et al. Astron. J. 128, 1364–1390 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Malhotra, R. Astron. J. 110, 420–429 (1995).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Stephens, D. C. & Noll, K. S. Astron. J. 131, 1142–1148 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Brown, M. E. et al. Astrophys. J. 639, L43–L46 (2006).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Jewitt, D. & Sheppard, S. Space Sci. Rev. 116, 441–455 (2005).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pollack, J. B. et al. Icarus 124, 62–85 (1996).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Gomes, R., Levison, H. F., Tsiganis, K. & Morbidelli, A. Nature 435, 466–469 (2005).

    Article  ADS  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Laboratoire Cassiopée, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, BP 4229, 06304, Nice, Cedex 4, France

    Alessandro Morbidelli

Authors
  1. Alessandro Morbidelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Morbidelli, A. Interplanetary kidnap. Nature 441, 162–163 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/441162a

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/441162a

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing