Galaxies, Our Solar System, and its Planets

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

• Gas

• Dust

• Soil

• Stars

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

• Pinwheel Galaxy

• Milky Way

• Andromeda Galaxy

• Sombrero Galaxy

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-2

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

• Rocky planets

• Small planets

• Inner planets

• Outer planets

Jacob started creating a diagram to show some of the common characteristics of planets in our solar system. What characteristic should Jacob write in the empty circle of the diagram?

• Mainly made of gas

• Has a rocky surface

• Orbits a star

• Is a satellite of another planet

Which two categories did Joselin MOST LIKELY use to group the planets?

• A. Planets and dwarf planets

• B. Planets with moons and planets without moons

• C. Objects that orbit the Sun and objects that orbit other bodies

• D. Rocky planets and gaseous planets

Which of the following lists has the outer planets in the correct order from their position from the Sun?

• Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

• Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter

• Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

• Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

The relative distances from the Sun to the eight planets are 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

NGSS.MS-ESS1-3

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

• It is too small to be called a planet.

• It orbits Jupiter instead of the Sun.

• Its properties are different from those of Jupiter.

• It is farther from the Sun than Mercury.

Which of the following BEST describes a difference between comets and asteroids?

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

• B. Comets orbit planets, and most asteroids orbit the Sun.

• C. Comets are mainly made of ice, and asteroids are mainly made of rocks.

• D. Comets are hot balls of gas, and asteroids are mainly made of ice.

Scientists discovered 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