Planets
How many planets are in our solar system?
8
What force pulls objects toward the center of the Earth?
Gravity
What causes the weather to change throughout the year?
Seasons
What causes the Moon to look different at different times of the month?
The Moon’s phases.
What is it called when Earth spins on its axis?
Rotation
What is the largest planet?
Jupiter
When you drop an apple, why does it fall to the ground instead of floating away?
Because gravity pulls it down toward Earth.
What is the main reason Earth has seasons?
Because Earth is tilted on its axis.
The Moon doesn’t make its own light. What does it reflect?
The Sun's light
What is it called when Earth moves around the Sun?
Rotation AKA orbit
What is the smallest planet?
Mercury
The Moon orbits around Earth because of what force?
Earth's Gravity
As Earth orbits the Sun, what changes to cause different seasons?
The angle and amount of sunlight each part of Earth receives changes.
When the lit part of the Moon is getting bigger each night, is it called waxing or waning?
Waxing
How long does it take Earth to make one full rotation on its axis?
24 hours=1 Day
Why is Pluto no longer considered one of the main planets?
Because it is now classified as a dwarf planet — it doesn’t clear its orbit of other objects.
Why would you weigh less on the Moon than on Earth, even though your mass stays the same?
Because the Moon’s gravity is weaker than Earth’s due to the Moon having less mass.
When it’s summer in the Northern Hemisphere, what season is it in the Southern Hemisphere?
Winter
What are the four main phases of the Moon?
New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, Last Quarter.
How long does it take Earth to make one full revolution around the Sun?
365 days = 1 year
Which planet has the most moons and the Great Red Spot, a giant storm that’s lasted for centuries?
Jupiter
How does gravity keep the planets in our solar system moving around the Sun instead of flying off into space?
The Sun’s gravity pulls on the planets, keeping them in orbit.
If Earth’s axis were not tilted, what would happen to our seasons?
There would be no seasons — the temperature and daylight would stay about the same all year.
Why can we see different amounts of the Moon’s lighted side from Earth during the month?
Because the Moon orbits Earth, and we see different parts of its sunlit half as it moves.
How do Earth’s rotation and revolution work together to create day, night, and seasons?
Rotation causes day and night, and revolution with Earth’s tilt causes the seasons.