Webb Telescope Finds Evidence of Ancient Catastrophe for Neptune's Moons

New observations from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected clay minerals on three of Neptune's small inner moons (Proteus, Larissa, and Galatea) and its inner dusty rings. These minerals suggest a catastrophic event billions of years ago, likely caused by Neptune's gravitational capture of Triton, a Pluto-sized object from the Kuiper Belt. This event would have destroyed ancient worlds around Neptune, with the current moons and rings re-forming from the debris. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.