Dwarf Planet ‘The Goblin’

Article Title: Distant dwarf planet called ‘The Goblin’ could point to Planet X by Chelsea Whyte

Link to Article: rebrand.ly/Goblin

Here are excerpts from the article itself…

• It was first spotted by a team of astronomers using the Subaru telescope in Hawaii in October 2015, hence its Halloween-themed name.
• “Currently we would only detect 2015 TG387 when it is near its closest approach to the sun. For some 99 per cent of its 40,000-year orbit, it would be too faint to see,” said David Tholen
• The team ran simulations that included a Super-Earth-like planet in the distant solar system, and found that such a planet would stabilise The Goblin’s orbit.

Activity: What is out there

Strategy: Chalk Talks

1. When the students walk into the classroom with ‘The Goblin’ picture projected onto the whiteboard. The students will write down what planet they think the image is on the whiteboard.

2. Why didn’t the student think it was a common planet? Why did the students think it was a different planet? Why didn’t the students think it was a new planet? Discuss and have students reflect on why they wrote what they wrote.

3. Handout the article to each student and use equity sticks to choose readers. Read the article with the students. Have the students find a new section on the board and change their responses to the image.

4. Discuss that what people know and learn in school today and how it might change with technology. For example what are Saturn’s rings made of or why Pluto is not a dwarf planet anymore.

5. Use this article as a reference throughout the space unit.

Standards: Montana Content Standard Earth and Space Science Fifth Grade

• Use evidence or models to support the claim that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun compared to other stars is due to their relative distance from Earth.

Grand Challenge: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe

• Explore how diverse peoples throughout history have interpreted the cosmos and its role in their lives.