2012 VP113

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/2012-vp113

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. Who discovered 2012 VP113?Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, Chile
2. What is the scientific name?2012 VP113
3. What is the classification?Sednoid (Extreme Trans-Neptunian Object)
4. How far is 2012 VP113 from the Sun?Its closest point to the Sun is about 80.5 astronomical units (AU). On average, it orbits around 263 AU and takes roughly 4,270 years to complete one orbit.
5. Why does 2012 VP113 look red?The red color comes from tholins, organic compounds formed when sunlight breaks down ices like methane and nitrogen on its surface.

Sednoid: A class of extreme trans-Neptunian objects with very distant and elongated orbits, never coming close to the giant planets.
Perihelion: The point in an orbit where an object is closest to the Sun.
Tholins: Complex organic molecules formed by ultraviolet irradiation of simple ices, contributing to reddish coloration on icy bodies.
Astronomical Unit (AU): The mean distance between the Earth and the Sun, approximately 150 million kilometers.