Small Solar System body

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/small-solar-system-body

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 IAU definition year?2006
2. What is the exclusions from definition?Planets, dwarf planets, and natural satellites
3. What are Small Solar System Bodies?They are tiny travelers that orbit the Sun, like comets and asteroids, but they are not planets, dwarf planets, or moons.
4. How do comets differ from asteroids?Comets have icy material that turns into a glowing coma and tail when close to the Sun, while asteroids are mostly rocky.

Protoplanetary Disk: A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets form.
Lagrange Points: Points in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies (like the Sun and a planet) balance, allowing smaller objects to remain relatively stable.
Accretion: The process by which small particles of matter clump together to form larger bodies, such as planetesimals and planets.
Volatile Compounds: Substances that easily evaporate or turn into gas at relatively low temperatures, such as water, methane, and ammonia.