Fifth Giant

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/fifth-giant

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 the hypothetical planet classification?Ice giant, analogous to Uranus and Neptune in composition and likely size
2. Why do scientists think a planet was ejected from our solar system?Scientists use computer models that show the giant planets were closer together and could bump into each other. Those models suggest one planet got pushed out by the others, which explains why the orbits we see now are the way they are.
3. How did the Fifth Giant leave the solar system?When the Fifth Giant had close encounters with big planets like Jupiter and Saturn, its path changed a lot. A powerful gravitational slingshot gave it enough speed to escape the Sun’s pull and travel into space.

Nice model: A dynamical model proposing significant migration of giant planets in the early solar system, leading to gravitational instability.
Orbital Resonance: A phenomenon where the orbital periods of two celestial bodies are related by a ratio of small integers, leading to amplified gravitational interactions.
Gravitational Scattering: The process by which the trajectory of a celestial body is significantly altered due to close gravitational encounters with other massive bodies.
Planetary Migration: The theoretical movement of planets from their initial formation locations to their current orbits over astronomical timescales.