From the July 2009 issue

The surface of Neptune’s moon Triton is partially made up of methane. If an asteroid were to collide with it, would that touch off an explosion?

Harvey Roberts, Jr., Kansas City, Missouri
By | Published: July 27, 2009 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Triton
Triton, Neptune’s moon.
JPL/NASA

With no oxygen available in Triton’s atmosphere to fuel ignition, the methane on the surface cannot explode.