InSight

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/insight

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 InSight known for?Significant instrument contributions from European space agencies
2. What is the primary scientific outcome?Confirmation of active marsquakes and detailed characterization of Mars's internal structure
3. What is the mission management?NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
4. How does InSight listen for marsquakes?It uses a very sensitive seismometer called SEIS that records tiny shakes from marsquakes and meteorite hits.
5. What is the mole and what does it do?The mole is a small probe that digs up to 5 meters into the ground to measure how hot the soil is, helping scientists learn how much heat comes from Mars’s interior.

Seismic Tomography: A technique used to create 3D images of a planet's interior by analyzing seismic waves.
Geothermal Gradient: The rate at which temperature increases with depth within a planet's interior.
Regolith: A layer of loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock, including dust, soil, and broken rock.
Planetary Evolution: The scientific study of how planets form, change over time, and develop their unique characteristics.