Martian meteorite

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/martian-meteorite

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 number identified?277 as of September 2020
2. What is the proportion of meteorites?Less than 0.5% of all classified meteorites
3. How do Martian meteorites reach Earth?A big hit on Mars sends rocks into space. Some travel for millions of years, then fall to Earth after burning up in the atmosphere.
4. How do scientists know a meteorite came from Mars?Scientists compare the rock’s chemical fingerprints—like special gases and isotope ratios—to data from Mars missions. If the fingerprints match, the rock is from Mars.

Hypervelocity impact: A collision occurring at extremely high speeds, capable of significant material ejection.
Noble gases: A group of inert chemical elements, including helium and argon, found in planetary atmospheres.
Lithology: The physical characteristics of a rock, including its color, texture, and composition.
Sample return mission: A space mission designed to collect material from another celestial body and bring it back to Earth.