Our Solar System
"the path a satellite takes as it moves around an object"
"a huge ball of glowing gas that gives off light and heat"
star
Name the inner planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Name the outer planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
"bowl-shaped hole formed when a space object hits a planet"
crater
Name the planets in order (closest to the Sun working outward)
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, (Pluto)
What shape does a planet make when it orbits the sun?
ellipse
Which is the only planet that can support life?
Earth
What do Ceres, Pluto, and Eris all have in common?
They are all dwarf planets
"frozen chunk of dust, ice, and gases that revolves around the Sun"
comet
How can scale models help us understand the Solar System?
They show the relative size and distance of the planets
How many foci does an ellipse have?
two
What causes day and night on Earth?
Its rotation on its axis
Why might a year on another planet be longer than a year on Earth?
The planet has a bigger orbit than Earth
What is the scientific name for a "shooting star"?
meteor
"relating to the Sun"
Solar
What keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
gravity
Which planet has the most similar properties to the Earth, sometimes called Earth's twin?
Venus
Which planet has 63 moons?
Jupiter
Explain how these terms relate to each other:
Planet, Star, Moon, Galaxy, Universe
Planets orbit around a star. Some planets have moons that orbit around them. A star and all the objects that orbit around it is a solar system. Several solar systems make up a galaxy. All the galaxies make up the universe.
"all the gases around a planet"
atmosphere
What is the meaning of perihelion and aphelion?
The points at which a planet is closest to and farthest from the Sun
Which planet has a length of day of 24 hours, 37 minutes?
Mars
Which planet has a length of a year equal to 84 Earth years?
Uranus
In which year was Halley's comet last seen from Earth?
1986