Why is Earth the only planet that can sustain a wide variety of life?
Moderate temperatures and liquid water
What type of galaxy is our Solar System?
As the Earth is spinning around the Sun, it is also spinning on its axis. This is also called the _____ of the Earth.
Rotation
Which are known as the outer planets?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
Which planets are larger than Earth?
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Why can't a person see the entire Milky Way from Earth?
Earth is inside this galaxy
What types of galaxies do these pictures represent?
Spiral, Elliptical, Irregular
Saturn is the _______ planet from the Sun.
Sixth
Pieces of rock made of minerals similar to those that formed rocky planets and moons are known as ______.
Asteroids
Earth's tilt and its revolution around the Sun causes ________.
Seasons
Which planet spins backwards?
Venus
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What is not a description of a comet?
Began as huge clouds of gas and dust
Which are known as the inner planets?
Mercury, Earth, Mars, and Venus
The distance between the Earth and the Sun is measured in a(n)
Astronomical Unit
Asteroids orbit the Sun between ______ and ______
Mars, Jupiter
If it takes the inner planets _____ time to revolve around the Sun; it can be inferred that planets that are farther away from the Sun take ______ to revolve around it.
Less, Longer
The outer planets are classified as _______ planets.
Gas Giant
What is true about Venus?
Its surface is surrounded by thick clouds
Mars is often called the Red Planet. What causes its surface to appear red?
Iron oxide, known as rust, is found in the rocks
It takes Venus approximately ______ Earth ______ to orbit the Sun.
225, Days
Uranus rotates in which direction?
East to West
Scientists hypothesize that stars begin their lives as ________.
Huge clouds of gas and dust
How many spacecrafts have been launched to explore the Moon?
More than 100
A ______ is the dark, cooler region of the photosphere on the Sun's surface.
Sunspot
A group of stars that form a pattern in the sky are known as a
Constellation
Jupiter has the ______ day.
How many planets in our solar system have rings?
4
All of the inner planets are considered ______ planets.
Terrestrial
What is not true about Mercury?
It is Earth's closest neighbor