Outer Planets
This group of planets is farthest from the Sun and are mostly made of gases.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
These planets are closest to the Sun and are mostly made of roc
Mercury, Venus, Earth, or Mars
A galaxy consists of gas, dust, and many stars. What is the name of our home galaxy?
Milky Way
Name one small body in space that orbits the Sun and sometimes has a glowing tail.
comet
What star is at the center of our Solar System?
The Sun
Which outer planet is the largest in our solar system?
Jupiter
Which inner planet has the hottest surface temperature, even though it is not the closest to the Sun?
Venus
True or False: A galaxy can contain many solar systems.
True
What are asteroids mostly made of and where is a large group of them found between Mars and Jupiter?
Mostly rock and metal; many are found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
How many planets are in our Solar System?
8
Explain why outer planets are often called "gas giants"
They are mostly made of gases like hydrogen and helium and are much larger than rocky planets.
Give two features that inner planets have in common
They are rocky and have solid surfaces; they are closer to the Sun than outer planets and usually smaller.
Name one thing found in a galaxy besides stars
Gas, dust, planets, or star clusters
What is a moon? Give one example of a moon in our solar system that is not Earth's moon.
A moon is a natural object that orbits a planet. Example: Europa (Jupiter), Titan (Saturn).
Name the planets in our solar system in order from closest to farthest from the Sun
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Which outer planet has rings that are the most visible and made mostly of ice and rock particles?
Saturn
Which inner planet has the largest volcano and what is the volcano's name?
Mars — Olympus Mons.
Describe in one sentence how scientists know our Sun is in the Milky Way
By observing the positions and motions of nearby stars and gas and seeing that the Sun is located in one of the Milky Way's spiral arms.
Describe what causes a meteor (shooting star) to glow as it enters Earth's atmosphere.
The meteor heats up and glows because it rubs against air particles and gets very hot from friction.
Identify Earth's position by number from the Sun (for example: 1st, 2nd, 3rd...)
3rd
Compare two characteristics that outer planets share that make them different from inner planets (give two clear differences).
Outer planets are mostly gas (not rocky) and are much larger; they also have many moons and often rings, while inner planets are rocky with few or no rings.
Explain why inner planets do not have many rings or large numbers of moons compared to outer planets.
Inner planets have less mass and weaker gravity to hold many moons or rings, and the warmer inner solar system makes it harder for ice and small bodies that form rings to remain.
Explain the difference between a star and a galaxy
A star is a single huge ball of gas that makes its own light (like the Sun); a galaxy is a huge group that contains billions of stars, gas, and dust.
Compare and contrast asteroids and comets (give two similarities and two differences)
Similarities: Both orbit the Sun and are smaller than planets.
Differences: Asteroids are mostly rock/metal and often stay in the inner solar system (like the asteroid belt); comets are icy and grow tails when they get close to the Sun.
To be considered a planet, an object must meet three criteria. Name them.
1) It must orbit the Sun
(2) it must be massive enough for its own gravity to pull it into a nearly round shape
(3) it must have cleared its orbit of other debris (be the dominant object in its orbital zone).