The four planets farthest from the Sun are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. They are known as the outer planets. The outer planets are best described as which of the following?

• being entirely composed of water

• being covered with craters

• having a solid, rocky surface

• mostly made up of gases

Millions of pieces of rocky material of various sizes and shapes orbit the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. These rocky objects are known as what?

• asteroids

• moons

• comets

• planets

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Astronomers believe there are billions of galaxies in the universe. Which of the following is NOT found in other galaxies?

• gas

• dust

• Earth

• stars

Kiara is interested in the moons of other planets. Some planets in our solar system have many moons, while others have none. Which group of planets should Kiara focus on to learn about as many moons as she can?

• rocky planets

• small planets

• inner planets

• outer planets

Earth belongs to a system of gas, dust, stars, and orbiting objects known as which of the following?

• Pinwheel Galaxy

• Milky Way Galaxy

• Andromeda Galaxy

• Sombrero Galaxy

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

The relative distances from the Sun to all eight planets is shown in the illustration.

Which of the labeled planets represents the relative position of Earth?

• Planet A

• Planet B

• Planet C

• Planet D

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

Ganymede is a moon of Jupiter. It is larger than Mercury and has a metallic core similar to Earth’s core. Which of the statements below best explains why Ganymede is classified as a moon rather than a planet?

• It is too large to be called a planet

• It orbits Jupiter instead of the sun

• Its properties are different from Jupiter

• It is farther from the sun than Mercury

Astronomers study many different kinds of objects in our Solar System. Which of the following best describes a difference between comets and asteroids?

• Comets orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, and asteroids form patterns in the sky

• Comets orbit planets and most asteroids orbit the Sun

• Comets are made mostly of ice, and asteroids are made mostly of rocks

• Comets are hot balls of gas, and asteroids are made mostly of ice

Scientists discover a relatively small object in an orbital path around the Sun, as shown in the diagram below.

Based on this information, the object is most likely which of the following?

• Comet

• Star

• Planet

• Moon

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Jacob started creating a diagram to show some of the common characteristics of the planets in our solar system.

Which characteristic should Jacob

write in the empty circle of the diagram?

• Made mostly of gas

• Has a rocky surface

• Revolves around a star

• It is a satellite of another planet