Larissa

Larissa was discovered by the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its historic flyby of the planet on May 24, 1981. Its name, drawn from Greek mythology, reflects Neptune's association with sea deities. Larissa orbits Neptune at an average distance of approximately 73,548 kilometers from the planet's center, and it is classified as one of Neptune's inner satellites. This moon boasts a modest size, with an estimated diameter of about 194 kilometers, and it exhibits an irregular shape, characteristic of many small celestial bodies. Larissa's notable feature is its near-synchronous orbit with Neptune, completing one orbit in roughly 13 hours and 18 minutes, a resonance likely maintained through gravitational interactions with Neptune's largest moon, Triton. Believed to be a captured object, possibly originating from the Kuiper Belt or asteroid belt, Larissa's gravitational influence on Neptune's rings and neighboring moons remains a subject of scientific interest.