Thebe (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/thebe-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. Who discovered Thebe (moon)?December 5, 1978, by Stephen P. Synnott using Voyager 1 images
2. What is the type?Inner moon of Jupiter (Jupiter XIV)
3. What is the dimensions?Approximately 116 x 98 x 84 kilometers
4. What is Thebe and why is it called Jupiter's speedy little moon?Thebe is a small moon of Jupiter, about 116 by 98 by 84 kilometers, and it completes one orbit in just 15.9 hours, so it moves very quickly around the planet.
5. Why does Thebe have a potato shape instead of a round shape?Thebe is too small for its gravity to pull it into a round shape, so it keeps a bumpy, potato-like shape that scientists think came from a broken asteroid.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between gravitational forces and internal pressure that shapes celestial bodies into spheres.
Albedo: The measure of how much light a surface reflects; a low albedo means it's dark.
Gossamer Ring System: Extremely faint, diffuse planetary rings composed of fine dust particles, often originating from moon impacts.