Chaldene

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/chaldene

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. How big is Chaldene?Gravitationally captured asteroid or small planetesimal
2. What is the type?Moon of Jupiter
3. What is the orbital radius from jupiter?Approximately 128,000 kilometers (79,500 miles)
4. How fast does Chaldene orbit Jupiter?Chaldene circles Jupiter in about 13 Earth hours, making it the fastest orbiting moon in our solar system.
5. Why is Chaldene so small?Its small size and irregular shape suggest it was captured from space, rather than forming with Jupiter. It is likely a piece of an asteroid or a small protoplanet.

Natural Satellite: A celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, not a star.
Gravitational Capture: The process by which a celestial body's gravity traps another object into orbit.
Protoplanetary Fragment: A piece of material left over from the formation of planets.
Tidal Forces: Gravitational forces exerted by a celestial body on another, causing stretching or compression.