Just Floating Through
The force of attraction between all things that have mass.
What is gravity?
Similar in size to Earth, its thick atmosphere and runaway greenhouse effect make it the hottest planet in the solar system.
What is Venus?
Recently considered too small to be a planet, it was reclassified as a 'dwarf planet'.
What is Pluto?
This giant windstorm is found on Jupiter.
What is the "Great Red Spot"?
A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.
What is a planet?
A system of millions or billions of stars, made of gas and dust and held together by gravitational attraction.
What is a galaxy?
This unit of measurement is commonly used to describe the distances between the Sun and planets. One of these equals the average distance between Earth and the Sun.
What is an Astronomical Unit (AU)?
These small, rocky planets are closer together and revolve around the Sun more quickly.
What are the Inner Planets?
This gas giant rotates from north to south.
What is Uranus?
The largest planet in our solar system is famous for its Galilean Moons and “Great Red Spot”.
What is Jupiter?
The only star in our solar system.
What is the Sun?
Our solar system is located on one of the arms of this spiral galaxy.
What is the Milky Way?
Commonly used to measure distances between stars, it is the distance light travels in one year.
What is one Light Year?
The distance from Earth to the Sun in miles (or kilometers).
What is 93 million miles or (146 million kilometers)?
Similar to the ‘Great Red Spot’ on Jupiter, a ‘Great Dark Spot’ can be found on the surface of this gas giant.
What is Neptune?
The smallest of Jupiter’s moons features a smooth, icy surface and a saltwater ocean below it.
What is Europa?
This feature can be found about halfway between the inner planets and outer planets.
What is an asteroid belt?
This oval-shaped galaxy is mostly made of older, low-mass stars.
What is an elliptical galaxy?
Without this, the planets would fly off in a straight line and pass by the Sun instead of staying in orbit.
What is the Sun's gravitational force?
All but two of the planets revolve around the Sun in this direction.
What is counterclockwise?
Not quite the farthest planet from the Sun, it is the coldest in our solar system.
What is Uranus?
Discovered in the year 1610, this Galilean moon features an underground ocean and a magnetic field.
What is Ganymede?
While most planets in our solar system rotate in a counterclockwise direction, these two do not.
What are Venus & Uranus?
The shapeless leftovers of two colliding galaxies.
What is an irregular galaxy?
These two forces are responsible for keeping the International Space Station in Earth’s orbit.
What are gravity and forward motion?
This planet is referred to as a "sister" to Earth in size.
What is Venus?
These larger, less-dense planets are made mostly of gas and take longer to revolve around the sun.
What are the outer planets?
The most geologically active object in the solar system is also the innermost moon of Jupiter.
What is Io?
List the terrestrial planets in order according to their proximity to the Sun. Start with the closest and end with the farthest.
What are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?
Finish the statement: “The greater the mass of an object”...
What is "the greater the gravitational force"?
The amount of time it takes light from the Sun to reach Earth.
What is 8 minutes?
This small planet’s speedy revolution keeps it from being pulled into the sun.
What is Mercury?
With wind speeds three times greater than a hurricane, this planet is the furthest from the sun.
What is Neptune?
Slightly larger than Mercury, this is the largest moon in the solar system.
What is Ganymede?
List the Gas Giants in order according to their proximity to the Sun. Start with the closest and end with the furthest.
What are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune?
Finish the statement: “The closer two objects are”...
What is "the greater the gravitational force"?
The shape of planetary orbits.
What is elliptical?
Unmanned rovers are currently exploring this crimson planet.
What is Mars?
Despite its size, this ringed planet is low-density and could float in a bathtub (if one were big enough).
What is Saturn?
Until Pluto was reclassified, there were only four.
What are dwarf planets?
At a distance of 2.5 million light years from the Milky Way, it is the closest of our neighbors.
What is the Andromeda Galaxy?
Located approximately 4.25 light-years away in the constellation of Centaurus, this small, low-massed star is the Sun's closest neighbor.
What is Proxima Centauri?