<p>Turned to vapour by faint sunlight, subsurface nitrogen on Neptune’s largest moon Triton bursts to the surface in dramatic plumes originally spotted by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.</p>

Voyager 2's view of Triton. Credit: NASA/JPL/USGS

This is a computer animation of cryovolcanism of Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. These icy geysers were observed by the Voyager 2 spacecraft - or rather, the spacecraft photographed the long stains that these features left on the landscape. It is thought that solar heating vaporises nitrogen below a translucent surface, until the pressure builds up enough to force an eruption. The gas picks up dust and other material, making the plumes visible. They reach a height of some eight kilometres above the surface of Triton, whereupon they are caught up in high-altitude winds and blown sideways.

This work was completed in 3DS Max, with Photoshop being used to create the landscape of Triton by enhancing pre-existing NASA imagery. It was commissioned to appear in a documentary.


Ice Geysers on Triton

Turned to vapour by faint sunlight, subsurface nitrogen on Neptune’s largest moon Triton bursts to the surface in dramatic plumes originally spotted by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

The Story of the Solar System: Geysers on Triton

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Fascinating article from Sky at Night magazine...