Eris (dwarf planet)

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/eris-dwarf-planet

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 heavy is Eris (dwarf planet)?0.28% of Earth's mass; 27% more massive than Pluto
2. Who discovered Eris (dwarf planet)?Palomar Observatory-led team (Mike Brown)
3. What is the scientific name?136199 Eris
4. What is the orbital classification?Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO) in the scattered disk

Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO): Celestial bodies orbiting the Sun beyond Neptune, often with eccentric and inclined orbits.
Scattered Disk: A dynamic region in the outer solar system containing icy bodies with orbits that are highly elliptical and inclined.
Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The state where an object's own gravity is balanced by its internal pressure, resulting in a nearly spherical shape.
Orbital Period: The time it takes for a celestial body to complete one full orbit around another celestial body.