Methone (moon)

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/methone-moon

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 scientific name?Methone
2. What is the orbital parameters?Mean orbital radius: 194,200 km. Orbital period: 13 hours, 15 minutes
3. What is Methone?Methone is a tiny moon of Saturn, about the size of a cosmic potato. It is one of the three small moons called the Alkyonides.
4. How big is Methone?Methone is not spherical; its longest side is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) long. It is much smaller than most moons.

Alkyonides: A group of three small, inner moons of Saturn: Methone, Anthe, and Pallene.
Tidal Forces: Gravitational forces exerted by a celestial body that cause distortion in another body.
Regolith: A layer of loose, fragmented material covering a solid rock surface, such as dust and soil on a moon.
Orbital Resonance: A recurring gravitational interaction between orbiting bodies that influences their orbits.