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Introducing the Solar System


Write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left.
1. ___ One day is the time it takes a planet to rotate on its A equator B axis C poles D moon 3. ___ The sun is a(n) A asteroid B planet C planetesimal D star 2. ___ Scientists think the solar system formed A 4.6 thousand years ago B 4.6 hundred thousand years ago C 4.6 million years ago D 4.6 billion years ago 4. ___ Planetesimals collided, stuck together, and eventually combined to form all the other objects in the A galaxy B universe C solar system D zodiac

Fill in the blank. Word Bank: Gravity, Gas, Sun, Moon, Astronomical unit, Pluto
5. Scientists use the _______________________ to measure distances within the solar system. 6. About 99.85 percent of the mass of the solar system is contained within the _____________. 7. All but two planets in the solar system have a natural satellite, or _____________. 8. The four outermost planets in the suns orbit are mostly made of liquid and _____________. 9. _____________, once the ninth planet in the solar system, is now considered a dwarf planet. 10. The solar system began to form as _____________ pulled rock, ice, and gas together.

Matching.
11. ___ dwarf planet a. small body that combined with like bodies to form all the other objects in our solar system b. the sun, the planets, their moons, and a variety of smaller objects c. object that orbits the sun, is spherical, but has not cleared the area of its orbit d. used to measure distances within the solar system e. object that orbits the sun, is round, and has cleared the area of its orbit

12. ___ astronomical unit 13. 14. 15. ___ solar system ___ planetesimal ___ planet

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Earths Moon
Write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left.
1. ___ The collision-ring theory seems best to describe how A craters were formed B highlands were formed C the moon was formed D maria were formed 2. ___ At the moons equator, daytime and nighttime temperatures range from A 130 C to 170 C B 120 C to 110 C C 75 C to 30 C D 40 C to 10 C

3. ___ At 3,476 kilometers, the moons diameter is slightly less than the distance across A Texas B France C Russia D the United States

4. ___ Craters were caused by the impact of A meteoroids B meteors C meters D meteorites

What Is the Moon Like?


1a.
LIST What are the three main surface features on the moon?

b.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST How does the moons gravity compare

with Earths?

c. DEVELOP HYPOTHESES Write a hypothesis explaining why the moon has no liquid water.

Name

Date

Class

The Inner Planets


Understanding Main Ideas
Label the diagram with the names of the inner planets.

Write the name of the inner planet or planets that the statement describes.
5. _____________ has a rocky surface 6. _____________ 70 percent is covered with water 7. _____________ rotates in the opposite direction of most other planets and moons 8. _____________ called the red planet 9. _____________ has at least one moon 10. _____________ similar to each other in size and mass 11. _____________ has almost no atmosphere 12. _____________ atmosphere so heavy and thick that it would crush a human 13. _____________ has enough gravity to hold on to most gases 14. _____________ atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide

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The Outer Planets


Fill in the blank to complete each statement. Moons, Gas Giant, Rings, 90, Titan
1. All the outer planets have many _____________, which range in number from 13 to greater than 60. 2. A(n) _____________ is a thin disk of small particles of ice and rock. 3. Because the four outer planets are so large, they are often called ___________________. 4. A few scientists believe that Saturns largest moon, _____________, may support life. 5. Uranuss axis is tilted at an angle of about _____________ degrees from the vertical.

Building Vocabulary
Match each term with its definition by writing the letter of the correct definition in the right column on the line beside the term in the left column.

6. ___ meteoroid 7. ___ nucleus 8. ___ Kuiper belt 9. ___ coma 10. ___ Oort cloud 11. ___ meteorite 12. ___ asteroid belt 13. ___ meteor

a. region of the solar system between Mars and Jupiter b. region where most comets originate c. streak of light produced when a meteoroid enters the atmosphere d. region where most of the known dwarf planets orbit e. solid inner core of a comet f. meteoroid found on Earths surface

g. fuzzy outer layer of a comet h. chunk of rock or dust smaller than an asteroid

Name

Date

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Small Solar System Objects


Write the letter of the correct answer on the line at the left.
1. ___ Between Mars and Jupiter is a region of the solar system called the A asteroid belt B Milky Way C Kuiper belt D Oort cloud 5. ___ In the late 1500s, Ptolemys observations were replaced by those of A later Greek astronomers B later Polish astronomers C Edwin Hubble D Tycho Brahe

2. ___ Most comets originate in the A asteroid belt B Milky Way C Kuiper belt D Oort cloud

6. ___ People became convinced that the heliocentric model is correct after evaluating evidence collected by A Galileo Galilei B Nicolaus Copernicus C Tycho Brahe D Johannes Kepler 7. ___ The arrangement of the known planets and how they move around the sun was first worked out by A Galileo Galilei B Nicolaus Copernicus C Tycho Brahe D Johannes Kepler 8. ___ Earth is at the center of the revolving planets and stars, according to a(n) A heliocentric model B astrological model C geocentric model D Copernican model

3. ___ All the known dwarf planets except Ceres orbit in the A asteroid belt B Milky Way C Kuiper belt D Oort cloud

4. ___ Most asteroids orbit the sun in the A asteroid belt B Milky Way C Kuiper belt D Oort cloud

Fill in the blank. Meteor, meteoroid, meteorite, Coma, Comet, dwarf planet,
8. When a meteoroid enters Earths atmosphere, friction causes it to burn up and produce a streak of light called a(n) _____________. 9. A chunk of ice and dust whose orbit is usually a long, narrow ellipse is a(n) _____________. 10. If a meteoroid hits Earths surface, it is called a(n) _____________. 11. A chunk of rock or dust in space that usually comes from a comet or an asteroid is called a(n) _____. 12. Clouds of gas and dust on a comet form a fuzzy outer layer called a(n) ____________. 13. Pluto was recently reclassified as a(n) ___________________________.

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