Exploring the Solar System

What did Kepler realize about planetary motion?

• Planets move in circles.

• Planets do not move.

• Planets move in random paths.

• Planets move in ellipses.

What makes up the majority of the Solar System's mass?

• Comets

• Asteroids

• Jupiter

• The Sun

Which planet is known for its massive size, being 11 times wider than Earth?

• Saturn

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Mars

Who proposed the heliocentric model that replaced geocentrism?

• Aristotle

• Johannes Kepler

• Ptolemy

• Nicolaus Copernicus

Why is defining a planet challenging?

• All celestial bodies are round.

• Some moons are larger than planets.

• All planets have moons.

• Planets are not affected by gravity.

What is the Kuiper Belt?

• A disk of icy bodies beyond Neptune

• A spherical cloud of comets

• A star cluster

• A region inside Jupiter's orbit

What analogy is used to explain the increase in rotation rate as the solar nebula collapsed?

• A spinning top

• An ice skater pulling in their arms

• A whirlpool

• A tornado

What lies between Mars and Jupiter?

• A black hole

• The Kuiper Belt

• A nebula

• The asteroid belt

What event is believed to have triggered the formation of the Solar System?

• The Big Bang

• A collision with another galaxy

• A black hole passing by

• A nearby supernova

Why are the inner planets rocky and the outer planets gas giants?

• The inner planets have stronger gravity.

• The inner planets are older.

• The outer planets captured more gas.

• The Sun's heat evaporated gases on the inner planets.