🌎 PLANET FACTS
What is the closest planet to the Sun?
What is Mercury?
What force keeps planets orbiting the Sun?
Gravity
Models of the solar system often show planet sizes correctly but usually do NOT show this accurately
Distances between planets
What invention challenged the Earth-Centered Model
Telescope
Which planet has the most moons?
Saturn
Which planets are called the terrestrial planets?
What are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?
If the mass of a planet increases, what happens to its gravitational pull?
It increases
The asteroid belt is located between these two planets
Mars and Jupiter
What tool collects information directly from space?
Space probes or Satellites
Which planet has rings that are easiest to see?
Saturn
This icy object develops a glowing tail when it gets close to the Sun.
What is a comet?
What happens to gravity as the distance between two objects increases?
Gravity Decreases
A model shows planets evenly spaced in a straight line. Give TWO limitation
Possible answers:
Which tool helps scientists predict planetary motion?
Mathematical Models
Name the planets in order from the Sun.
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
Why is Pluto considered a dwarf planet?
Why is Pluto considered a dwarf planet?
Why do Jupiter and Saturn have so many moons?
Their large masses create stronger gravity that can attract and hold more moons.
A planet is:
What type of planet is it?
Gas Giant
Which technology allows scientists to analyze huge amounts of data?
Computer Simulations
A student says:
"Planets stay in orbit because there is no gravity in space."
Is this correct? Explain.
No. Gravity exists throughout space and pulls planets toward the Sun while their forward motion keeps them in orbit.
Name the four gas giants.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
Explain how gravity helped form the solar system.
Explain how gravity helped form the solar system.
A graph shows that planets with greater mass generally have more moons.
What conclusion can you make?
Greater mass usually means stronger gravity, allowing planets to attract more moons.
Which technology allows scientists to analyze huge amounts of data?
New technology provides new evidence that helps scientists improve scientific explanations.
You discover a planet with these characteristics:
What type of planet is it, and how do you know?
A terrestrial planet because terrestrial planets are rocky, smaller, have few or no moons, and do not have rings.