Webb data hint Neptune’s moons were shattered by Triton’s capture

James Webb Space Telescope observations of Neptune’s inner moons and rings found phyllosilicate clay that formed only with liquid water, implying these materials were shed from a larger body long ago. The most plausible scenario is that Neptune once hosted larger moons that were destroyed when Triton was captured, leaving the current small inner moons and rings. Researchers also spotted a mysterious unidentified mineral that could be a new material, highlighting the potential for further discoveries from a dedicated Neptune mission.