Quasi-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/quasi-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 a quasi-satellite?A quasi-satellite is a space rock that orbits the Sun but stays close to a planet like Earth for long periods, thanks to gravity.
2. How does a quasi-satellite stay near Earth?Its orbit is almost the same as Earth's, and the planet's gravity nudges it so it never drifts away or crashes.

Quasi-satellite: A celestial body that orbits the Sun but maintains a long-term co-orbital relationship with a planet.
Orbital Resonance: The phenomenon where two orbiting bodies exert a regular, periodic gravitational influence on each other.
Co-orbital Configuration: Two or more celestial bodies sharing the same orbit around a larger body, often with one body leading or trailing.
Orbital Eccentricity: A measure of how much an orbit deviates from being a perfect circle.