100: What is the name for the region that includes the sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and the space between them?
100: The solar system.
100
100: Which planet is closest to the sun?
100: Mercury.
100
100: What phase of the Moon do we see when the whole face is lit?
100: Full moon.
100
100: What is an eclipse?
100: When one celestial body moves into the shadow of another.
100
100: What is a tide?
100: The regular rise and fall of sea level caused mainly by gravitational forces.
200
200: What is a galaxy?
200: A large system of stars, gas, dust; Earth is in the Milky Way galaxy.
200
200: Which planet is known for its rings that are easily visible from Earth-based telescopes?
200: Saturn.
200
200: Which phase comes after the new moon as the lit portion grows?
200: Waxing crescent → (growing lit portion after new moon).
200
200: What is the difference between a solar eclipse and a lunar eclipse (one short sentence)?
200: Solar: Moon blocks Sun from Earth’s view. Lunar: Earth’s shadow falls on the Moon.
200
200: Which two celestial bodies have the biggest effect on Earth’s tides?
200: The Moon and the Sun (Moon has the larger effect).
300
300: Describe what a nebula is (use a short student-friendly definition).
300: A cloud of gas and dust in space where stars can form.
300
300: Name two differences between terrestrial (rocky) planets and gas giant planets.
300: Terrestrial planets are rocky, smaller, and closer to the Sun; gas giants are large, made mostly of gas, and farther out.
300
300: Why do moon phases occur (one-sentence explanation)?
300: Phases occur because we see different amounts of the Moon’s sunlit side as it orbits Earth.
300
300: During a lunar eclipse, which two bodies cast shadows on which other body?
300: Earth casts its shadow on the Moon (during lunar eclipse); Sun casts a shadow on Earth (during solar eclipse).
300
300: What is a spring tide and when does it happen?
300: Spring tide: especially high and low tides that happen at new and full moons when Sun, Moon, and Earth align.
400
400: What is the primary source of energy for most processes on Earth and in the solar system?
400: The Sun.
400
400: What makes a planet able to retain a thick atmosphere — give one main factor?
400: Having enough mass (gravity) to hold onto gases—mass and temperature help retain an atmosphere.
400
400: What phase is the Moon in when it rises at noon and sets at midnight (name and brief reason)?
400: Full moon (it is highest in the sky at midnight; rises at sunset and sets at sunrise — for noon rise/noon set check: the phase that is opposite the Sun is full).
400
400: Why don’t we have a solar or lunar eclipse every month? (one clear reason)
400: Because the Moon’s orbit is tilted about 5° relative to Earth’s orbit, alignment doesn’t happen every month.
400
400: What is a neap tide and when does it happen?
400: Neap tide: weaker tides that happen at first and third quarter moons when Sun and Moon are at right angles.
500
500: Explain what the unit of AU measures and give one example of when scientists use it.
500: The distance from the Sun to the Earth, roughly 150,000,000 km
500
500: Explain why Pluto is no longer classified as a major planet (one clear reason appropriate for 6th grade).
500: Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet because it has not cleared its orbital neighborhood of other debris.
500
500: Draw (describe) the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a full moon.
500: Draw (describe) the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a full moon.
500
500: Describe what an annular solar eclipse is and how it looks from Earth.
500: An annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon is too far from Earth to completely cover the Sun, leaving a bright ring (annulus).
500
500: Explain how the Moon’s gravity and Earth’s rotation together create the pattern of two high tides and two low tides each day in many places.
500: The Moon’s gravity pulls water toward it creating a bulge (high tide); as Earth rotates, different places move through bulges, causing typically two highs and two lows each day.