By Stacy Palen

According to this article on The Guardian, when the New Horizons spacecraft arrived at Arrokoth, it revealed a surprising world. Now, planetary scientists are beginning to reconsider their conclusions about the formation of the Solar System. This new discovery appears to favor a gentler model of planet formation than the hierarchical model.

Here are some questions, inspired by the arrival of the New Horizons probe at Arrokoth, that you can ask your students:

1) Where is Arrokoth located?

Answer: In the Kuiper Belt.

2) Why can observations of Arrokoth yield information about the early Solar System?

Answer: Objects in the Kuiper Belt remain essentially unchanged since the Solar System formed. They do not have the same history of impacts and geologic processes as objects in the inner Solar System.

3) In your own words, state the hierarchical model of planet formation.

Answer: Small bodies smash together to form progressively larger bodies.

4) In your own words, state the cloud collapse theory of planet formation.

Answer: Slightly denser regions of dust and gas clump together and then, all at once, collapse under gravity.

5) What would astronomers expect Arrokoth to look like if the hierarchical model is correct?

Answer: They would expect to see evidence of collisions, like fractures and varied composition across the body.

6) What would astronomers expect Arrokoth to look like if the cloud collapse theory is correct?

Answer: They would expect to see uniform composition and no evidence of smashing.

7) Which model of planetary formation is supported by the actual appearance of Arrokoth?

Answer: Because Arrokoth is relatively smooth and uniform, it supports the cloud collapse theory of planet formation.