Siarnaq

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/siarnaq

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 object type?Dwarf planet
2. What is the orbital domain?Kuiper Belt
3. How big is Siarnaq compared to Earth or Texas?Siarnaq is about 1,300 kilometers across, which is roughly the same width as the state of Texas.
4. Why is Siarnaq called a dwarf planet?It is called a dwarf planet because it is big enough to be round from its own gravity, but it hasn't cleared other space debris from its orbit.

Dwarf Planet: A celestial body that orbits the Sun, is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, but has not cleared its orbital neighborhood of other objects.
Kuiper Belt: A region of the outer Solar System, beyond the orbit of Neptune, containing numerous icy bodies and remnants from the solar system's formation.
Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between the gravitational force pulling inward and the internal pressure pushing outward, which causes a celestial body to assume a nearly spherical shape.
Protoplanetary Disc: A rotating disc of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets and other celestial bodies may eventually form.