Exploring the Solar System

What tools do astronomers use to study outer space?

• Cameras and smartphones

• Microscopes and radars

• Telescopes, computers, satellites, and space probes

• Binoculars and maps

What is at the center of our Solar System?

• Mars

• The Moon

• Earth

• The Sun

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

Which planet is closest to the Sun?

• Mars

• Venus

• Earth

• Mercury

What mnemonic helps remember the order of the planets from the Sun?

• My very educated mother just served us noodles

• My very educated mother just served us nachos

• Many very educated men just screwed up nature

• My very eager mother just served us noodles

What are asteroids primarily made of?

• Water and ice

• Ice and rock

• Rock or metal

• Gas and dust

What happens to a comet as it approaches the Sun?

• It speeds up

• Its ice melts, creating a glowing tail

• Its tail grows longer

• It disintegrates

What defines a dwarf planet?

• It has no gravity

• It can't clear its orbit of other debris

• It's larger than an asteroid but too small to be a planet

• It's smaller than a moon

What is the largest object in the asteroid belt?

• Makemake

• Ceres

• Pluto

• Eris

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

Where do many comets originate?

• The Oort Cloud

• Mars

• The Kuiper Belt

• The Asteroid Belt

Why was Pluto reclassified from a planet to a dwarf planet?

• It is too far from the Sun

• It is too small

• Its orbit is irregular

• Its gravity isn't strong enough to clear its orbit of other debris