Characteristics of Planets Quiz

What are the characteristics of Venus? (Select all that apply.)

• Venus is about the same size as Earth.

• Venus is much hotter than Earth.

• Venus has two moons.

• Venus has a poisonous atmosphere.

What are the characteristics of Mercury? (Select all that apply.)

• Mercury has lots of craters like our Moon.

• Mercury has many rings visible from Earth.

• Mercury's year is similar to that of Earth's.

• Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

What do Venus and Earth have in common?

• the temperature of their surfaces

• their approximate size

• the composition of their atmospheres

• the number of moons

What is the relationship between the Sun and the terrestrial planets?

• There is no direct relationship between the Sun and the planets.

• The four terrestrial as well as other planets, orbit the Sun.

• The Sun's energy supports life on all the planets.

• The Sun is just like a planet, only larger.

What is the order of the four inner planets, from nearest to the Sun to farthest from the Sun?

• Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury

• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

• Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars

What are the four planets farthest away from the Sun categorized as?

• Jovian planets

• water planets

• rocky planets

• terrestrial planets

Which planet has the only moon to orbit in the opposite direction of the planet's spin?

• Uranus

• Pluto

• Saturn

• Neptune

What is the largest planet in our solar system?

• Saturn

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Earth

What are the characteristics of a Jovian planet? (Select all that apply.)

• They have hard, rocky surfaces.

• They have no real surface to stand on.

• They are made of gases and liquids (not water).

• They have a thin atmosphere.

What is unique about the moons that orbit Jupiter? (Select all that apply.)

• several are bigger than Earth

• some are as large as terrestrial planets

• there are more than 70 of them

• they all have names