Desdemona (moon)

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/desdemona-moon

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 Desdemona (moon)?Voyager 2 Imaging Science Team
2. What is the astronomical designation?Saturn XV
3. What is the mean orbital radius?145,400 km (90,300 mi)
4. What is Desdemona?Desdemona is a tiny moon of Saturn that looks a bit like a potato. It is only about 68 kilometers across and has a bumpy, irregular shape.
5. How fast does Desdemona orbit Saturn?Desdemona makes a full loop around Saturn in just about 13.9 hours, which is very quick for a moon.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between gravity and internal pressure that shapes celestial bodies into spheres.
Orbital Resonance: Gravitational interactions where orbiting bodies exert periodic forces on each other.
Planetary System: A star and the celestial bodies that orbit it, such as planets and moons.