Ice Geysers on Triton (2015)

Ice Geysers on Triton

T his 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 for a TV documentary about Pluto, which Triton is thought to resemble.
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