Ganymede

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/ganymede

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 Ganymede?Discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610 as part of the Galilean moons
2. What is the orbital body?Jupiter
3. What is the diameter?5,268 kilometers (3,273 miles)
4. Why does Ganymede have a magnetic field?Ganymede's magnetic field comes from its salty ocean and maybe a metallic core that create electric currents. This makes it the only moon with its own magnetosphere.
5. How do scientists know Ganymede has an ocean?Spacecraft like Galileo measured gravity and magnetic signals that show a liquid layer. Models predict the ocean could be many kilometers thick.

Astrobiology: The scientific study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe.
Cryovolcanism: Volcanic activity that erupts volatile substances such as water, ammonia, or methane, instead of molten rock.
Magnetosphere: The region surrounding a planet or moon where its magnetic field is dominant.
Tectonic Activity: The movement and deformation of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, leading to geological features.