Centaur (small Solar System body)

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/centaur-small-solar-system-body

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. What is a Centaur in space?A Centaur is a small space rock that looks like both an asteroid and a comet. It has a rocky surface but also contains ice that can turn into a glowing cloud when it gets close to the Sun.
2. Where do Centaurs come from?Centaurs are thought to have started far out in the Kuiper Belt or even the Oort Cloud. Gravitational pulls from giant planets like Neptune and Uranus can send them on new paths toward the inner Solar System.

Gravitational Scattering: A process where the gravitational pull of a massive body alters the orbit of a smaller object.
Protoplanetary Disk: The rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star from which planets form.
Orbital Resonance: A recurring gravitational influence where two orbiting bodies exert regular, periodic forces on each other.