What Keeps the Moons of Jupiter in Place?

NGSS Phenomena: The planet Jupiter, with 8 inner moons orbiting on one plane. As the camera backs up, after a large gap, we see tens of other moons orbiting in a swarm around the planet in many different directions.
We know of at least 79 moons that orbit Jupiter. Jupiter's regular satellites are the largest and closest moons, which move in a disc around the planet. The second layer are called irregular satellites and they are much farther away and much smaller than the regular satellites. Think about the role of gravity in this system as you answer the questions that follow.

1. The Sun looks larger on Earth than on Jupiter because .

Drag the answers below into the grey placeholders above

the Sun's light doesn't travel that far
the Sun is closer to Earth
the Sun's light is blocked from ever reaching Jupiter

2. Why do all these moons orbit around Jupiter?

3. Draw a model to show how the movement of Jupiter's regular moons is similar or different to the movement of the planets around the Sun.

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4. Draw a model to show what would happen to Jupiter’s 3 closest moons if Jupiter’s gravity suddenly stopped existing.

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Width

5. Which of the following is true of stars?

6. Gliese 581 is a planetary system that's 20 light years away from Earth and has 4 planets moving around a star. How would you expect to find the planets orbiting the star?

7. Explain how your model shows the movement of Jupiter's regular moons is similar or different to the movement of the planets around the Sun.

8. What do the shape of Jupiter and its regular moons, the shape of the Solar System, and the shape of the Milky Way galaxy tell us about how these objects were formed?

9. We've discovered many exoplanets that are many light years away. Why don't these planets orbit the Sun?

10. How can we use gravity to make a connection between the following: the shape of the Milky Way system and the shape of the system that contains Jupiter and its moons. Why can models like the one provided be helpful to explain the movements of the solar system? Be sure to include two pieces of evidence from the model provided.

11. Explain how your model shows what would happen to these moons if suddenly there was no pull of gravity.

12. The difference between the two types of Diabetes is _____________.

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This matching question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • MS-ESS1-2

This multiple choice question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS1-2

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • Systems and System Models

This drawing question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • Developing and Using Models

  • Systems and System Models

  • MS-ESS1-2

This drawing question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS1-2

  • Systems and System Models

  • Developing and Using Models

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

This multiple choice question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • MS-ESS1-2

This multiple choice question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • Developing and Using Models

  • MS-ESS1-2

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS1-2

  • Systems and System Models

  • Developing and Using Models

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • MS-ESS1-2

  • Systems and System Models

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • MS-ESS1-2

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • Developing and Using Models

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • Systems and System Models

  • MS-ESS1-2

This free response question aligns to the following standards

  • ESS1.A: The Universe and Its Stars

  • ESS1.B: Earth and the Solar System

  • Developing and Using Models

  • Systems and System Models

  • MS-ESS1-2

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