The Inner Planets
Where will you find water on Mars?
At the North & South Poles.
How long does it take Jupiter to travel around the sun?
12 years
Is the sun a planet? Why or why not?
No, the sun is a star.
Which is the largest moon in our solar system?
a. Jupiter
b. Saturn
c. Ganymede
d. Titania
c. Ganymede
What is the Kuiper Belt?
a. an area of rocks, dust, and ice that is between Jupiter and Saturn
b. an area of rocks, dust, and ice that is beyond Pluto
c. an area of rocks, dust, and ice that includes Pluto
d. an area of rocks, dust, and ice that surrounds Saturn’s rings
c. an area of rocks, dust, and ice that includes Pluto
How did Mars get its reddish color?
Martian soil has rust and other minerals in it that give the planet its reddish color.
Why is Saturn so cold?
Saturn is so cold because it is so far away from the sun.
Where is the sun located?
The center of the solar system.
Why don't Mercury and Venus have moons?
They are so close to the sun that any moons would be pulled away by the sun's gravity.
How are Titan and Earth alike?
a. They both have life on them.
b. They both have lots of oxygen.
c. They both have large amounts of liquid on their surfaces.
d. They are both planets.
c. They both have large amounts of liquid on their surfaces.
Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, but Venus is the hottest. Why?
Venus has clouds that trap in heat like a blanket.
Jupiter is known for its Great Red Spot. What is the “Great Red Spot”?
An ancient wind storm that is bigger than Earth.
The sun is …
a. the largest known star
b. an average-sized star
c. a small star
d. the hottest known star
b. an average-sized star
Mars' moon Phobos may crash into Mars one day. Why?
Phobos gets closer to Mars each time it rotates around the planet.
Which statement about the inner planets’ orbits is true?
a. Venus orbits the Sun more quickly than Mercury.
b. Mercury orbits the Sun more slowly than Mars.
c. Earth orbits the Sun more quickly than Venus.
d. Mars orbits the Sun more slowly than Earth
d. Mars orbits the Sun more slowly than Earth
Explain how Earth’s rotation is different from Venus’s.
Earth rotates counterclockwise, Venus rotates clockwise.
Neptune is further away from the Sun than Uranus, yet Uranus is colder than Neptune. Explain how this can be possible.
Neptune has an internal heat source, or a heated core inside the planet. Uranus does not.
How many planets orbit the sun?
8
5. Which statement is true?
a. Saturn has fewer moons than Mars
b. Earth has more moons than Neptune
c. Neptune has fewer moons than Jupiter
d. Mars has more moons than any other planet
c. Neptune has fewer moons than Jupiter
Which would be the most appropriate nickname for Venus?
a. the cold desert planet
b. the first inner planet
c. the windy planet
d. the triple mooned planet
c. the windy planet
Name the four inner planets.
Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars
Name the four outer planets.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus & Neptune
Why is the sun important?
It gives the Earth light and keeps it warm.
What famous words did Neil Armstrong say when he first stepped on the moon?
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
The moon is about …
a. 500,000 miles from Earth
b. 250,000 miles from Earth
c. 25,000 miles from Earth
d. 100,000 miles from Earth
b. 250,000 miles from Earth