Stars and the Solar System

​What do the following planets have in common?

• They are all gas planets.

• b. They are all small planets.

• c. They are all rocky planets.

• They are closest to the Sun.

​Which diagram best​ illustrates the order of the planets in the Solar System?

• 
• 
• 
• 

​What is the name of the planet at location R in this Solar System model?

• a. Earth

• b. Mars

• c. Mercury

• d. Venus

​What is the best ​explanation for why Ursa Major is visible in the night sky all year?

• a. Ursa Major does not move in the night sky.

• b. Ursa Major revolves around the Sun at the same rate as the Earth.

• c. Ursa Major is closer to the Moon, which is also visible throughout the year.

• d. Ursa Major is in the part of the sky that lines up with the Earth's North Pole axis.

​What does this diagram best ​illustrate about the constellation Orion?

• a. Orion revolves around the Sun similar to the Earth.

• b. Orion is visible in the night sky during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere.

• c. Orion is visible during daytime during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

• d. Orion rises in the east at night and sets in the west in the Northern Hemisphere.

​What is the best ​explanation for why the constellation Orion is visible in the night sky

at 11:00 PM on December 21st but not at 11:00 PM on June 21st?

• a. As the Earth spins on its axis, Orion rises in the East.

• b. The full moon makes the sky too bright to see Orion during the June.

• c. The constellation Orion is closer to the Earth and easier to see during December.

• d. As the Earth revolves around the sun, we see those stars in the night sky in December.

​Which of the following evidence best ​supports the claim astronomy was important in

early navigation and exploration?

• a. Sailors would use sextants to find magnetic North Pole while on a boat at sea.

• b. Sailors would use sextants to measure the distance between land and the Full moon.

• c. Sailors would use sextants to figure out the time by measuring the position of the sun.

• d. Sailors would use sextants to measure the angle between the horizon and the North Star.

​What claim is best ​supported by the information above?

• a. Sailors needed to know how to read maps for navigation.

• b. Lots of different devices were used for navigation and exploration.

• c. Knowledge of astronomy was important for navigation and exploration.

• d. Explorers were very clever people who know a great deal about the ocean.

​What claim is best​ supported by the information above?

• a. Telescopes gather visible light from far away objects.

• b. Telescopes are essential tools in navigation and exploration.

• c. Telescopes are complex instruments that require specialized training.

• d. Telescope have contributed to a deeper understanding of astronomy.

​Based on the diagram above, what is the best ​explanation for why the appearance of

the Moon changes?

• a. The Moon always orbits the Earth on the nighttime side of the planet.

• b. The amount of sunlight the Moon reflects changes over the 29 1/2 day lunar cycle.

• c. As the moon orbits the Earth, we see different amounts of the side reflecting sunlight.

• At different times, part of the moon's surface