List of named Solar System objects

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/list-of-named-solar-system-objects

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 wrote List of named Solar System objects?The International Astronomical Union (IAU) governs the naming of celestial bodies
2. What are the eight planets in our Solar System?The eight planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are round and have cleared their orbits.
3. Why do some planets have names from mythological gods?Early civilizations named visible planets after gods and goddesses, and the IAU keeps this tradition for planets and many moons.

Nomenclature: The system of names or terms used in a particular branch of knowledge or science.
Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance in a celestial body where internal pressure balances the force of gravity, resulting in a spherical shape.
Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO): Any minor planet in the Solar System whose orbit lies entirely beyond that of Neptune.