Proteus Facts for Kids

A Picture of Neptune's Moon Proteus
  • Moon Name: Proteus
  • Designation: Neptune VIII
  • Date Discovered: June 16th, 1989
  • Discovered by: S. Synnott (Voyager 2)
  • Average Orbit of Neptune: 73,101.83 mi
  • Total Volume: 9,306,788 mi3
  • Surface Area: 213,968.91 mi2

16 Proteus Facts for Kids

  1. Proteus is one of Neptune’s 14 known moons (natural satellites).
  2. Proteus is named after the Greek mythology god Proteus, who was a shape-changing sea creature.
  3. Proteus is also designated Neptune VIII.
  4. Proteus was discovered on June 16th, 1989 by American astronomer Stephen P. Synnott.
  5. Proteus was discovered from photographs taken by Voyager 2 in August 1989.
  6. Proteus wasn’t discovered by Earth-based telescopes due to its close distance to Neptune and dark surface.
  7. Proteus was the third moon to be discovered orbiting Neptune.
  8. Prior to the discovery of Proteus, it had been 33 years since a moon orbiting Neptune had been discovered.
  9. The average orbit distance for Proteus is 73,101.83 mi.
  10. The surface area of Proteus is 213,968.91 mi2.
  11. The total volume of Proteus is 9,306,788.33 mi3.
  12. Proteus orbits the planet Neptune every 26.55 hours.
  13. Proteus is the second largest moon of Neptune, based on diameter.
  14. Proteus is the seventh closest moon to Neptune.
  15. Proteus is one of the darkest moons in our Solar System and only reflects around 10% of the Sun’s light.
  16. The largest crater on Proteus is named Pharos and has a diameter of 140 mi.

Additional Resources on Neptune’s moon Proteus

  • Learn About Proteus – Read more about Pluto’s moon Proteus on the NASA Solar System Exploration website.
  • Proteus Data and Stats – Find the latest data and statistics of the moon Proteus on the NASA Solar System Exploration website.
  • The Moons of Neptune – Discover more moons of the planet Neptune on the Britannica website.
  • Proteus (Moon) – Wikipedia – Learn more about Proteus, one of Neptunes’s moons, on the Wikipedia website.

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