Fifth Years: Lesson Two

Professor Nakamura fiddled idly with a quill as he watched the students enter his classroom. He smiled once he counted them all, and stood up, ready to teach the lesson. “Welcome! We will be continuing on the subject of moons, this time the moons of other planets in the solar system."

Notes once again appeared on the blackboard and Professor Nakamura began reading them aloud, allowing for the students to have time to write it down.

Enceladus
Orbits: Saturn
Facts: One of the brightest objects in the Solar System, due to its surface of water ice that reflects almost 100% of the Sun’s light. Features an ocean of water under its ice surface. Has the potential for harbouring life, along with large geysers spewing out icy bits and water vapor. The wobble in its orbit is evidence of a liquid interior.

Europa
Orbits: Jupiter
Facts: Just a fraction smaller than the Moon. Possibly one of the smoothest objects in the Solar System, with very few craters. The thick surface features red-brown deposits in a fractured pattern. Also has a possible ocean below its surface. The core has geological activity and produces eruptions of water into space.

Ganymede
Orbits: Jupiter
Facts: Largest moon in the Solar System, even larger than Mercury. Has a molten core that has produced its magnetosphere within that of Jupiter. Has a thought atmosphere surrounding the moon.

Io
Orbits: Jupiter
Facts: The most volcanic body in the Solar System, and Jupiter’s third-largest moon. Has an elliptical orbit, that it is forced into by Ganymede and Europa. The moon is also tidally locked like our Moon, causing incredible forces to bulge out the solid surface by as much as 100m. The result is that the moon is almost entirely molten. Volcanoes erupt nearly 190 miles into the atmosphere, easily filling any impact craters.

Titan
Orbits: Saturn
Facts: Titan is the second-largest moon in the Solar System. The only moon is known to have a thick atmosphere, dense enough that the core is completely obscured by the nitrogen and methane clouds. Lakes and rivers of ethane and methane are filled by rains from the orange clouds. This would be a very hostile place for us to visit.

Professor Nakamura addressed his students once more. “As you are probably aware, that is not all of the moons of the planets of the solar system, but a few examples. Jupiter has 79 visible to telescopes and Saturn 62. For homework I want you to read up on the five largest moons of each planet. Now, in case you thought the lesson was over, let’s use the telescopes and try and locate Jupiter’s five biggest moons, referred to as the Galilean moons.” Professor Nakamura smiled and waited for the students to gather up their supplies to move to the viewing tower. It was a nice, clear night. Professor Nakamura wandered around helping out students and telling them how to tell the different moons apart. When the lesson ended, Professor Nakamura dismissed the class.

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Roleplay the lesson for full marks.
Homework isn’t required and none of the other moons will be on the exam.
Feel free to godmod Professor Nakamura helping you out if you wish.
 
Apolline walked into the astronomy classroom and took her usual spot in the room. Her gaze moved to the professor at the front. She took her quill and parchment and began writing down what the professor was saying about the moons of the other planets, making sure that she was getting down what was being said about them. The lecture was interesting, and she took a note on what they were read up on before she went to the telescopes and took the time to try to locate one of jupiter's moons. Then once she had she was able to pack up and leave the room.
 

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