Non-fiction: Way-Out World
Way-Out World
By Hugh Westrup
What strange satellite circles the visible edge of the solar system?
The detonation of a single nuclear bomb can do catastrophic damage. So
imagine the power of more than one bomb—not just two or 10 or even 10
million, but 10 billion.
Astronomers have evidence that a collision with enough force to equal the
explosion of 10 billion nuclear bombs once happened in the solar system.
Out of that crack-up was born one of the oddest things in space. Its name is
Haumea.
“There is so much to learn about this newfound object, and we keep finding
surprises,” says Mike Brown, an astronomer at the California Institute of
Technology. “It’s just crazy.”
ODD Balls
The solar system is always changing. What astronomers know about it is
changing even faster. Advances in telescope technology keep deepening
their view of space, continually revealing new objects and new features on
old objects.
One example of that change in perspective is Pluto. For more than 70 years,
astronomers considered it the ninth planet. Then, in 2007, the International
Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet. Like a planet, a dwarf
planet orbits the sun. It also has enough mass, and therefore enough
gravity, to give it a rounded shape. But it lacks pull; its gravity isn’t strong
enough to clear its neighborhood of most smaller objects the way that
planets do.
A year later Pluto was reclassified again. Now it’s a plutoid. A plutoid is
simply a dwarf planet that exists beyond Neptune, the eighth planet.
As of 2011, four known dwarf planets are plutoids. Pluto, Eris, and
Makemake are three. The fourth, discovered by Brown shortly after
Christmas 2004, was originally called Santa. That name seemed less
appropriate, however, the more that scientists learned about it. Haumea was
a better fit. Haumea is the mother goddess of Hawaii, whose many children
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Non-fiction: Way-Out World
sprang from various parts of her body. The plutoid Haumea is trailed by a
swarm of small, icy bodies that once were part of it.
Haumea also has a distinctive spin and shape. It rotates once every four
hours—six times faster than Earth does. That’s the fastest spin rate of any
major object in the solar system.
When an object in space rotates that rapidly, it stretches the way pizza
dough does when it’s tossed and twirled in the air, says Brown. Haumea’s
quick spin has given it an oblong shape that looks like a “squashed football,”
he adds. The same effect is at work on Earth. But because Earth turns less
quickly, it bulges only slightly at its equator.
In addition to the icy debris that trails Haumea, a pair of icy moons orbit it.
Called Hi’iaka and Namaka, the moons were named after two of the goddess
Haumea’s mythical daughters.
Blast Off
A fast rotation, a squashed shape, two moons, and icy debris—how does it
all add up? Brown believes that Haumea was once larger than it is today,
composed half of rock and half of frozen water. Sometime between 3.5
billion and 4.5 billion years ago, Haumea was involved in a collision with
another object. The impact released the energy equivalent of 10 billion
nuclear bombs exploding. It blasted the two icy moons and the chunks of
smaller icy debris off Haumea and accelerated its spin rate. Today, says
Brown, Haumea resembles an orbiting M&M candy—a small, rocky object
covered in a thin shell of ice.
The Haumea collision wasn’t the only crack-up in the solar system’s early
history. Astronomers believe that a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed
into the young Earth some 4.5 billion years ago. The impact ejected chunks
of rock into space that gradually accreted (fused) to form an orbiting
satellite with enough gravity to acquire a round shape and become the
moon. The still-existing debris around Haumea promises to reveal more
about the process of what happens when worlds collide, says Brown.
As old as Haumea is, its story is far from over. The enormous gravity of
Neptune could one day throw Haumea like a boomerang through the solar
system. At that point, it will become a comet that burns as brightly as a full
moon when it passes Earth.
When might that happen? Maybe a billion years from now, says Brown. “So
you have a little bit of waiting to do,” he says.
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Non-fiction: Way-Out World
BSIP/Photo Researchers, Inc.; Inset: NASA
Ring around the Planets
The plutoid Haumea is located in the Kuiper belt, a
ring of small bodies that extends far beyond
Neptune. The bodies, which number in the billions,
are remnants from the early years of the solar
system when a giant cloud of gas and dust began to
coalesce (stick together). That coalescence resulted
in objects ranging in size from the small members of
the Kuiper belt and the asteroid belt to the planets.
Haumea is about 1,450 kilometers (900 miles) wide;
Pluto, about 2,300 kilometers (1,400 miles).
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Questions: Way out World
Name:
_____________ Date: _______________________
1. According to the passage, how much force was in the explosion that created Haumea?
A
B
C
D
the
the
the
the
force
force
force
force
of
of
of
of
2 million nuclear bombs
10 million nuclear bombs
one bomb
10 billion nuclear bombs
2. The passage describes the creation of Haumea. How many years ago did Haumea
collide with another object?
A
B
C
D
between 7.0 and 8.5 billion years ago
between 5.5 and 6.5 billion years ago
between 3.5 billion and 4.5 billion years ago
10 billion years ago
3. Based on the passage, how do advances in telescope technology most likely change
what astronomers know about space?
A
B
C
D
advances
advances
advances
advances
in
in
in
in
telescope
telescope
telescope
telescope
technology
technology
technology
technology
are more expensive
help them see better
help them hear better
help them draw maps
4. Read the following sentence: “When an object in space rotates that rapidly, it
stretches the way pizza dough does when it’s tossed and twirled in the air, says Brown.”
As used in the passage, rapidly means
A
B
C
D
randomly
in a pattern
slowly
quickly
5. This passage is mostly about
A
B
C
D
the creation of Haumea after a collision
reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet, then as a plutoid
how Haumea was named
how scientific knowledge about the solar system is constantly changing
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Questions: Way out World
6. What were Haumea’s moons named after?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
7. Based on the passage, why did scientists most likely rename Haumea?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes
the sentence.
Pluto was thought to be the ninth planet ______ scientists reclassified it as a dwarf
planet.
A
B
C
D
after
but
before
so
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
In 2007, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet
because its gravity isn’t as strong as most planets.
What? the International Astronomical Union
(did) What? ____________________________________________________________
When? ________________________________________________________________
Why? _________________________________________________________________
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Questions: Way out World
Directions: Read the vocabulary word and definition below to complete questions 10a,
10b, and 11.
Vocabulary Word: collide (col·lide): to crash.
10a. Read the sentences below and underline all forms of the word collide.
Objects in space often collide with a lot of force, causing pieces of planets to
break off when they hit each other.
1.
Hockey players will often collide into each other on the ice when they are trying
to get the puck.
2.
The bumpy sidewalk caused the roller skaters to collide with each other and
bump their heads together.
3.
4.
The drivers were not paying attention, causing the cars to collide.
The biker ignored the stop sign, causing a car to turn suddenly and collide with a
tree.
5.
10b. Which image best demonstrates the word collide?
11. In which of the following sports do players often collide with each other: football or
tennis? Why?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Way-Out World
Teacher Guide and Answers
Passage Reading Level: Lexile 980
Featured Text Structure: Descriptive – the writer explains, defines or illustrates a concept or topic
Passage Summary: This passage describes the creation of Haumea, a plutoid, as the result of a collision.
The passage describes Haumea, how it was classified and named, and how studying this plutoid can help
scientists learn more about what happens when worlds collide.
1. According to the passage, how much force was in the explosion that created Haumea?
A
B
C
D
the force of 2 million nuclear bombs
the force of 10 million nuclear bombs
the force of one bomb
the force of 10 billion nuclear bombs
2. The passage describes the creation of Haumea. How many years ago did Haumea collide with another
object?
A
B
C
D
between 7.0 and 8.5 billion years ago
between 5.5 and 6.5 billion years ago
between 3.5 billion and 4.5 billion years ago
10 billion years ago
3. Based on the passage, how do advances in telescope technology most likely change what astronomers
know about space?
A
B
C
D
advances in telescope technology are more expensive
advances in telescope technology help them see better
advances in telescope technology help them hear better
advances in telescope technology help them draw maps
4. Read the following sentence: “When an object in space rotates that rapidly, it stretches the way pizza
dough does when it’s tossed and twirled in the air, says Brown.”
As used in the passage, rapidly means
A
B
C
D
randomly
in a pattern
slowly
quickly
5. This passage is mostly about
A
B
C
D
the creation of Haumea after a collision
reclassifying Pluto as a dwarf planet, then as a plutoid
how Haumea was named
how scientific knowledge about the solar system is constantly changing
6. What were Haumea’s moons named after?
Suggested answer: Haumea’s moons are Called Hi’iaka and Namaka, named after two of the goddess
Haumea’s mythical daughters. [paragraph 10]
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Way-Out World
7. Based on the passage, why did scientists most likely rename Haumea?
Suggested answer: Scientists most likely renamed Haumea because the plutoid broke off from a much
larger object. According to Brown, the collision blasted two moons and chunks of smaller icy debris off
Haumea. They chose the name because Haumea is the mother goddess in Hawaii whose children came
from various parts of her body, which describes Haumea, which is trailed by the small, icy bodies that
were once a part of it. [paragraphs 7 & 11]
8. The question below is an incomplete sentence. Choose the word that best completes the sentence.
Pluto was thought to be the ninth planet ______ scientists reclassified it as a dwarf planet.
A
B
C
D
after
but
before
so
9. Answer the following questions based on the sentence below.
In 2007, the International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet because its gravity isn’t
as strong as most planets.
What? the International Astronomical Union
(did) What? reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet
When? in 2007
Why? because its gravity isn’t as strong as most planets
To the Teacher: ReadWorks recommends that you teach this vocabulary word to the whole class out loud
using the four steps listed below.
Vocabulary Word: collide (col·lide): to crash.
Step 1: Introduce the word
a. Teacher writes the word on the board and divides it into syllables: (col·lide)
b. Teacher says: “This word is collide. What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud:
“collide.”]
Step 2: Provide a child-friendly definition
a. Teacher says: “Collide means to crash.”
b. Teacher says: “The passage describes how scientists are interested in what happens when worlds
and other objects collide, or crash, in space. Scientists study Haumea because it collided with
another object many years ago and broke off into smaller pieces.”
c. Teacher says: “What is the word?” [All students reply together out loud: “collide.”]
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Teacher Guide & Answers: Way-Out World
Step 3: Practice the word
Teacher provides examples and additional opportunities to repeat the word. Read the first sentence out
loud to your students. Begin reading it again and when you come to the vocabulary word prompt students
to say the vocabulary word out loud. Then, finish reading the sentence out loud to your students.
Directions: Read the vocabulary word and definition below to complete questions 10a, 10b, and 11.
Vocabulary Word: collide (col·lide): to crash.
10a. Read the sentences below and underline all forms of the word collide.
1. Objects in space often collide with a lot of force, causing pieces of planets to break off when they
hit each other.
2.
Hockey players will often collide into each other on the ice when they are trying to get the puck.
3. The bumpy sidewalk caused the roller skaters to collide with each other and bump their heads
together.
4.
The drivers were not paying attention, causing the cars to collide.
5.
The biker ignored the stop sign, causing a car to turn suddenly and collide with a tree.
Step 4: Check for student understanding
To the Teacher: This step can be completed as a whole class activity or as an independent practice.
10b. Which image best demonstrates the word collide?
11. In which of the following sports do players often collide with each other: football or tennis? Why?
Suggested answer: Players often collide with each other in football, because colliding means to crash
into something else. Tennis players do not crash into each other usually.
Suggested Additional Vocabulary: visible, catastrophic, collision, newfound, advances, perspective,
reclassified, appropriate, distinctive, rapidly, squashed, bulges, debris, mythical, equivalent, accelerated,
fused, collide, remnants, coalesce
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