Planets
These are the 8 planets in our solar system starting with the one closest to the sun to the one farthest away.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
100 point BONUS: what is the acronym to remember the order of the planets?
This is the reason why the planets and asteroids orbit around the Sun in an ellipse.
The Sun is the largest object in the solar system, so it has the strongest gravitational pull.
This is a giant ball of hot gas that can be found in a constellation.
a star
This is the following number in scientific notation: 5,100.
5.1 x 103
This is what is caused by the force of gravity between the Moon and Earth.
ocean tides
This is the direction a planet would MOST LIKELY move in the solar system if there was no gravity.
a straight line
This is Earth's only natural satellite and what a satellite is.
satellite: a body that orbits a planet
This is what most stars are made of.
hydrogen and helium
This is the large space telescopes scientists prefer to use over land-based telescopes to observe objects in space.
The Hubble space telescope
The movement of these things in space support one of the current scientific theories is that the universe is expanding.
galaxies
Name one defining feature of at least three different planets in our solar system.
Mercury: smallest planet, no atmosphere, closest to sun
Venus: day is longer than a year, hottest planet, similar size to Earth
Earth: only one with life and liquid water
Mars: mostly CO2 atmosphere, has volcanoes, most explored besides Earth
Jupiter: red spot (storm), largest
Saturn: has most rings
Uranus: orbits on its side, blue in color
Neptune: blue in color, farthest from sun, clouds in atmosphere
This is the force played an important role in holding the matter together during the formation of the solar system.
gravitational force
This is how scientists identify star's. It tells us which stars are hottest and which are coolest.
Color and temperature
200 point BONUS: What color are the hottest stars? What color are the coolest stars?
This is the following number in standard notation 8.45 x 104.
84,500
This is the name of the galaxy we live in.
Milky Way Galaxy
This is the difference between the inner and outer planets (and which ones are which).
Inner planets: made of rock, smaller and faster orbits, hotter, few moons
(Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars)
Outer planets: made of gas, cold, larger and slower orbits, many moons
(Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune)
This is the difference between a meteor, meteorite and a meteoroid.
meteoroid is in when it is in space
meteor is when it is in our atmosphere
meteorite is when it has landed on the surface of the Earth
This idea is supported by scientists having found that some stars and galaxies that are separated by great distances are still composed of many of the same elements.
The universe is expanding and was once significantly smaller.
This is the difference between the geocentric model and the heliocentric model of our solar system. Also include which one we believe today.
geocentric model: the Earth was at the center of the universe and everything (the stars and planets) revolved around it
heliocentric model: the sun is at the center of our solar system and the planets revolve around it (this is the one we know to be true today)
100 point BONUS: What do helios and geo mean?
These are the three types of galaxies and what they look like.
Spiral galaxy: looks like a spiral or pinwheel (has arms of young stars - new ones form here)
Elliptical galaxy: looks like round flattened balls (has billions of old stars - not forming new ones)
Irregular galaxy: smallest type of galaxy with no set shape (lots of young stars)
This is the coldest planet in our solar system. It is blue.
Uranus
400 point BONUS: What makes Uranus blue?
These are the locations where asteroids and comets are located in space and where they are in comparison to the planets.
asteroids are in the asteroid belt which is between Mars and Jupiter
comets are in the Kuiper belt which is out past Neptune (also has dwarf planets out there)
200 point BONUS: What is out PAST the Kuiper Belt?
This tool provides information about the elemental composition of stars (what they are made of).
spectroscopes
This person gradually convinced people that the heliocentric model was correct.
500 point BONUS: Name at least one of the other people who believed in and supported the heliocentric model before Galileo.
This is the difference between the spring and neap tides (which moon phase do they occur during).
Spring tides: when the sun, moon and Earth all line up in a straight line (new or full moon)
Neap tides: when the sun, moon and Earth are at a right angle to each other (1st or 3rd Quarter moon)