A simulated view of Galatea orbiting Neptune

Galatea (gal'-a-tee'-a, Greek Γαλατεία) is the fourth known moon of Neptune, named after Galatea, one of the Nereids of Greek legend. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1005, 99 KB)A simulated view of Galatea orbiting Neptune. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1280x1005, 99 KB)A simulated view of Galatea orbiting Neptune. ... A computer simulation or a computer model is a computer program which attempts to simulate an abstract model of a particular system. ... Atmospheric characteristics Surface pressure ≫100 MPa Hydrogen - H2 80% ±3. ... Moons of solar system scaled to Earths Moon The common noun moon (not capitalized) is used to mean any natural satellite of the other planets. ... Atmospheric characteristics Surface pressure ≫100 MPa Hydrogen - H2 80% ±3. ... In Greek mythology, Galatea (she who is milk-white) was the name of a Sicilian Nereid loved by the Cyclops Polyphemus. ... In Greek mythology, the Nereids (NEER-ee-eds) are blue-haired sea nymphs, the fifty daughters of Nereus and Doris. ... Greek mythology comprises the collected legends of Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and heroines, originally created and spread within an oral-poetic tradition. ...

Galatea was discovered in late July, 1989 from the images taken by the Voyager 2 probe. It was given the temporary designation S/1989 N 4. It is also designated Neptune VI. July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Voyager 2 spacecraft was launched in 1977, originally planned as Mariner 12 of the Mariner program. ... Unmanned space missions are those using remote-controlled spacecraft. ...

The discovery was announced (IAUC 4824) on August 2, 1989, but the text only talks of « 10 frames taken over 5 days », giving a discovery date of sometime before July 28. August 2 is the 214th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (215th in leap years), with 151 days remaining. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 28 is the 209th day (210th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 156 days remaining. ...

It is irregularly shaped and shows no sign of any geological modification. Since the Galatean orbit is below Neptune's synchronous orbit radius, it is slowly decaying due to tidal forces and will one day break up into a planetary ring or impact Neptune. The tidal force is a secondary effect of the force of gravity and is responsible for the tides. ... A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ...

• Orbital radius: 61,593 km
• Diameter: 204×184×144 km
• Mass: 3.7×10¹⁸ kg
• Estimated density: 1.3 g/cm³
• Orbital period: 0.429 d
• Orbital inclination: 0.065° (to Neptune's equator), 0.062° (to the local Laplace plane), 28.50° (to the ecliptic)

Not to be confused with the asteroid 74 Galatea. The Laplace plane is defined as the mean plane occupied by the orbit of a satellite during a precession cycle. ... The plane of the Ecliptic is well seen in this picture from the 1994 lunar prospecting Clementine spacecraft. ... An asteroid is a small, solid object in our Solar System, orbiting the Sun. ... 74 Galatea is a large Main belt asteroid. ...