Natural satellite

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/natural-satellite

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 orbital mechanics?Natural satellites orbit planets, dwarf planets, or small Solar System bodies
2. How many natural satellites are there in the Solar System?There are 419 around planets, 447 around minor planets, and 7 dwarf planets have moons.
3. How do natural satellites form?They can form from a giant impact, from the same disk that made the planet, or by capturing passing asteroids or comets.

Accretion disk: A rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star or planet, from which celestial bodies form.
Barycenter: The center of mass of two or more bodies orbiting each other; the point around which they revolve.
Exoplanet: A planet that orbits a star outside our solar system.