The Sun
Why do the planets and other space objects in our solar system stay in orbit around the Sun?
What is the Sun's powerful gravity keeps everything in our solar system revolving around it?
What type of space object is Pluto and why?
What is Pluto is a dwarf planet because it doesn't have enough gravity to keep its own orbital path, so it crosses Neptune's?
Which planet is the hottest and why?
What is Venus is the hottest even though it isn't the closest because it has a blanket of poisonous air that traps the heat?
What causes day and night on Earth?
What is Earth rotates (spins) on its axis?
What is the largest object in our Solar System?
What is The Sun?
Why does the Sun look larger and brighter than the other stars we see?
What is he Sun is much closer to Earth, so it looks bigger and brighter? (The others are so far away, they look like tiny dots even when they are really bigger and brighter than our average sized/bright Sun.)
What are asteroids and where are most of them found?
What are asteroids are chunks of space rock that mostly orbit the Sun in a belt between Mars and Jupiter?
Which planets are inner planets?
What are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?
What do we call the time it takes Earth to make one complete revolution around the Sun?
What is a year?
What is a moon?
What is a moon is a space object that orbits a planet?
Remember: The Moon's year will be the same length as the planets because they both orbit the Sun together.
How far away is the Sun and how long does it take the Sun's light and heat to travel this distance to Earth?
What is the Sun is 93 million miles away and light and heat travel this distance in 8 minutes?
When a piece of space rock enters Earth's atmosphere, it starts to burn up. The burning causes a streak of light called what?
What is a meteor which is not a shooting star?
Hint: Meteor ends with r like star, and most people mistakenly believe the light streak is a shooting star!
Which planets are gas giants?
What are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?
What causes Earth to have seasonal changes?
What is Earth tilts on its axis as it revolves around the Sun?
In what way are all the stars alike?
How many stars are in our solar system?
a. too many to count
b. one
c. 93 million
What is one? The only star in our solar system is The Sun!
What is the difference between a meteoroid and a meteorite?
What is meteoroids are tiny space rocks orbiting the Sun and meteorites are the remains of meteors that have landed on earth?
Memory Tip: Meteoroid ends the same way as Asteroid and meteorites land right here on Earth!
Earth is called The 3rd Rock from the Sun for two reasons. What are they?
What is Earth is made of rock because it is an inner planet and Earth is the 3rd planet from the Sun?
When the Northern hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, what season is it in the Southern hemisphere?
What is winter?
In which direction do the planets orbit the Sun?
What is counterclockwise?
How long does it take the Sun to orbit the Earth?
What is, this is a trick question, the Sun never orbits the Earth?
What space object is called a dirty snowball because it is made of ice and debris (dust)?
What is a comet?
The inner planets and outer planets are different in at least 4 ways. Describe the differences.
What is inner planets are made of layers of rock and outer planets are made of layers of gas?
What is the inner planets are smaller than the outer planets?
What is every outer planet has rings?
What is every outer planet has moons and only 2 inner planets do (Earth & Mars)?
What is the outer planets have longer years because they are further away from the Sun and take longer to orbit it?
What is the inner planets are closer to the Sun that the asteroid belt and the outer planets are further from the Sun than the asteroid belt?
You must get all parts right to earn the points!
How long is Earth's day and why?
How long is Earth's year and why?
How long does it take the Moon to orbit around Earth and how many changes (phases) does it have each month?
What is Earth's day is 24 hours long because that is how long it takes Earth to rotate (spint) once on its axis?
What is 365-1/4 days long because that is how long it takes Earth to revolve (orbit) around the Sun?
What is 28 days and 8 phases?
What is a hemisphere and which ones do you live in?
What is hemisphere means half of Earth, and I live in the Northern and Western hemispheres?
If the Earth (see globe) is divided in half from top to bottom, we are in the Northern hemisphere. If the Earth (see globe) is divided in half from side to side, we are in the Western hemisphere.