SSA Hierarchal Organization Plus

In the diagram, which circle would contain the planet Earth and its moon?

• Sun

• Solar System

• Galaxy

• Universe

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

The universe contains galaxies, planets, stars, and solar systems. Which of the following is most true?

• Not all galaxies contain stars

• Not all stars are part of the universe

• Our solar system includes several stars

• Our solar system only contains one star

The universe contains many galaxies, and each galaxy contains many stars. Which of the following is true?

• Each galaxy has at least one star identical to the Sun

• Sirius is in the same solar system as Earth

• Andromeda is in the same solar system as Earth

• Sirius is in the same galaxy as Earth

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Object X is made of layers of solid and liquid rock and metals. Its outermost layer is a water ice shell. It is larger than the smallest planet, but does not orbit the Sun. Which type of object is it?

• a moon

• an asteroid

• an inner planet

• an outer planet

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

The object 4 Vesta has a diameter of 329 km. Its surface is made of different minerals and orbits the Sun. Based on the information in the table, how should 4 Vesta be classified?

• a moon

• a comet

• a planet

• an asteroid

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Mars is about 1.5 AU from the Sun. Caroline has realized she needs to move her model outside if she wants to include Saturn. Saturn is about 9.54 AU from the Sun. Where should the Sun be located if she places Saturn at the spot marked Z on the diagram?

• Spot V

• Spot W

• Spot X

• Spot Y

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-1

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

From Earth what is the relationship between size and distance to our nearest neighbors?

• Scientists have no way of accurately measuring the size of space bodies

• Larger objects tend to be closer while the smaller ones are farther away

• There does not seem to be a predictable relationship between size and distance

• We are nearby the smaller objects and farther away from larger objects

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Even at extremely small scales, distances between objects in space are enormous. Caroline has stopped with the placement of Neptune. Outside of our solar system the next closest star is Proxima Centauri. At the same scale, this would mean approximately 1,420 miles. (Roughly the same as from Orlando, FL to Acapulco, Mexico.) Which statement about how distances are expressed is accurate?

• Astronomical units refer to the distance between the Sun and the Oort Cloud at the edge of our solar system

• A light year is how far light can travel in a year. It is most useful for objects that are close together or in the same solar system

• An astronomical unit denotes the distance from the Sun to the Earth. It is commonly used for the distances between the planets in our solar system

• The Parsec is the shortest space distance of all. It refers to 3.26 light years

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Hierarchical relationships are typically based on levels. The subordinate or lower-level objects are then all contained in the next category in the hierarchy. Which of the following correctly organizes astronomical bodies from largest to smallest?

• stars, solar systems, galaxies, planets

• universe, planets, solar systems, stars

• galaxy, planets, comets, stars

• universe, galaxy, solar system, stars

Which of the following is the most accurate?

• There are hundreds of galaxies with hundreds of stars

• There are millions of galaxies with millions of stars

• There are billions of galaxies with billions of stars

• There are millions of galaxies with billions of stars

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2