Proteus

Proteus is a rugged, potato-shaped moon that orbits the planet Neptune. It stays close to Neptune and was first seen by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

A few interesting things

  • One of Neptune’s largest inner moons but not round – it looks lumpy like a potato.
  • Very dark surface that reflects little sunlight, so it is hard to see.
  • Discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its 1989 flyby.

A few details

  • Diameter: 420 km
  • Distance from planet: 117,600 km
  • Orbit length: 1 days