List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

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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/list-of-gravitationally-rounded-objects-of-the-solar-system

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 List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System?The Sun accounts for over 99% of the solar system's total mass
2. What makes a planet or moon round?Gravity pulls everything toward the center, so when a body is big enough it becomes a sphere. This shape uses the least energy for the gravity to hold it together.
3. Why are some objects in space not round?If they are too small, their material strength keeps them irregular. In that case, gravity is not strong enough to smooth them into a sphere.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium: A state of balance where an object's internal pressure counteracts the inward pull of its own gravity, leading to a spherical shape.
Planetary-Mass Object: A celestial body massive enough that its gravity has pulled it into a nearly spherical shape.
Oblate Spheroid: A sphere that is flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator, often due to rapid rotation.