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WorksheetsStars and the Solar System
Total questions: 39
Worksheet time: 20mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of these is NOT large and gaseous?
a)
Jupiter
b)
Mercury
c)
Saturn
d)
Uranus
2.
The tilt of the Earth's axis of rotation is responsible for the
a)
ocean's tides
b)
size of the Moon
c)
brightness of stars
d)
Earth's seasons
3.
The stars in the night sky look as if they are slowly moving because
a)
The Earth is moving
b)
They rotate around the Sun
c)
They rotate around the Earth
d)
The Sun Blocks them out at times.
4.
The Earth rotates from ____ to ____, giing rise to the apparent motion of the Sun each day.
a)
East to West
b)
West to East
c)
North to South
d)
South to North
5.
The picture shows us how the Sun's rays strike Earth. Because of the Earth's tilt on its axis, some parts of Earth are having summer and others, winter. What letter or letters on the Earth are experiencing summer?
a)
B
b)
C
c)
B and C
d)
C and D
6.
Which factor has the biggest impact on Earth's seasons?
a)
Earth's Reovolution
b)
Earth's elliptical orbit
c)
Earth's tilt on its axis
d)
Earth's distance from the Sun.
7.
What causes different points on the globe to receive light at different times, explaining the day and night cycle of Earth?
a)
The rotation of the lamp
b)
the rotation of the globe
c)
the revolution of the lamp
d)
the revolution of the globe
8.
What causes the sun to rise in the East and set in the West?
a)
The rotation of the SUn on its axis
b)
The rotation of the Earth on its axis
c)
The rotation of the Earth around the Sun
d)
The rotation of the Sun around the Earth.
9.
Your science class decides to study the phases of the moon. To do this, you would like a magnified, close-up view of the moon.
What scientific instrument could you use for this?
What scientific instrument could you use for this?
a)
Microscope
b)
Telescope
c)
Astrolabe
d)
Sextant
10.
We have all seen the moon shining at night, whether it is a small sliver or a large full moon.
What causes the moon to shine the way it does?
What causes the moon to shine the way it does?
a)
The tilt of theEarth on its axis
b)
The rotation of the Earth on its axis
c)
When the moon heats up, it gives off light
d)
Reflection of the sunlight off the surface of the Moon.
11.
Steven notices that the shadow he casts in the morning is much longer than the one he casts in the early afternoon.
What is the reason for this difference?
What is the reason for this difference?
a)
In the morning, the sun is lower in the sky, and this causes a longer shadow.
b)
In the morning, the sun is lower in the sky, and this causes a shorter shadow.
c)
In the morning, the sun is higher in the sky, and this causes a longer shadow.
d)
In the morning, the sun is higher in the sky, and this causes a shorter shadow.
12.
Imagine this is the shadow of a simple sundial in mid-afternoon, say 3:00 PM. How would the shadow change when the sun is directly overhead at noon?
a)
The shadow would be longer.
b)
The shadow would be shorter.
c)
There would be no shadow at noon.
d)
The shadow would remain the same.
13.
Throughout the day, both the direction and the length of this shadow will change in a predictable pattern because of the
a)
season of the year.
b)
rotation of the Earth on its axis.
c)
orbit of the Earth around the Sun.
d)
movement of the Sun around the Earth.
14.
Using the image shown above, what would happen to the shadow if the Sun moved to a position directly above the tree?
a)
the shadow gets much longer
b)
the shadow gets much shorter
c)
the shadow falls in the middle of the image
d)
the shadow gets much shorter and falls in the middle of the image
15.
We can watch the phases of the moon change, day by day. A complete cycle of phases takes about ___________ to complete.
a)
a year
b)
a decade
c)
one month
d)
a day
16.
Today, when you want to know how to get somewhere, you can use GPS. It is on you parents phone and maybe in their car. Long ago, though, people used another device. It is called a sextant. It is probably what Columbus used to sail the seas. A sextant lets a sailor navigate using
a)
numbers and angles.
b)
the horizon and stars in the sky.
c)
the distance to other boats on the sea.
d)
the Earth's surface and the ocean waves.
17.
North - South - East - West
This instrument helps us find the direction when we are traveling.
This instrument helps us find the direction when we are traveling.
a)
astrolabe
b)
compass
c)
sextant
d)
telescope
18.
nner Planets - Outer/Giant Planets
What is the sequence of outer planets, in order from the Sun?
What is the sequence of outer planets, in order from the Sun?
a)
Earth - Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus
b)
Saturn - Uranus - Neptune - Pluto
c)
Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Pluto
d)
Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune
19.
The planets close to the sun are
a)
small and rocky
b)
large and rocky
c)
small and gaseous
d)
large and gaseous
20.
The Northern Hemisphere is warmer in spring than in winter, because in spring
a)
the days are shorter.
b)
it gets more direct sunlight.
c)
the Earth is closer to the Sun.
d)
it is tilted away from the Sun.
21.
John’s grandfather used to gaze at the night sky when he was a boy in 1940. John gazes at this same sky in 2008. The sky that John sees is
a)
almost the same as the one his grandfather saw.
b)
exactly the same as the one his grandfather saw.
c)
mostly different from the one his grandfather saw.
d)
completely different from the one his grandfather saw.
22.
The picture shows us how the Sun's rays strike Earth. Because of the Earth's tilt on its axis, some parts of Earth are having summer, and others, winter. What letter or letters on the Earth are experiencing winter?
a)
A
b)
D
c)
A and B
d)
A and D
23.
Think about the order of planets starting with the one closest to the sun, and moving outward. What two planets can be found on either side of Earth?
a)
Venus and Mars
b)
Mercury and Mars
c)
Venus and Mercury
d)
Mercury and Jupiter
24.
Which one of the moons in this picture shows the position during the new moon?
a)
M1
b)
M2
c)
M3
d)
M4
25.
Which letter or letters represent daytime on Earth?
a)
B
b)
C
c)
B and C
d)
A and B
26.
What causes the change within every twenty-four hours from day to night on Earth?
a)
Earth’s rotation on its axis
b)
the tilt of Earth on its axis
c)
Earth’s revolution around the Sun
d)
the distance from Earth to the Sun
27.
Why are constellations in predictable locations in the night sky, but planets are so hard to find?
a)
The stars are so far away we cannot tell how they move.
b)
The stars do not move but the planets move around Earth.
c)
The planets move around the sun much faster than the stars.
d)
Both Earth and the other planets are moving in orbits; the stars are not.
28.
Where does the Moon gets its light?
a)
it has its own "Moonlight"
b)
from Earth's electric lights
c)
the Moon does not reflect light
d)
the Moon reflects light from the Sun
29.
Why does the Moon have different phases?
a)
the Sun moves around the Moon
b)
the Moon moves around the Sun
c)
the Moon moves around the Earth
d)
the Moon follows the Sun around the Earth
30.
An ancient tool was used to measure latitude.
a)
astrolabe
b)
compass
c)
sextant
d)
telescope
31.
What is the name of this device, which was used to calculate and measure various celestial bodies using interchangeable circular disks?
a)
astrolabe
b)
compass
c)
sextant
d)
telscope
32.
What phase is this moon in?
a)
First Quarter
b)
New Moon
c)
Full Moon
d)
Third Quarter
33.
What phase is this moon?
a)
Waxing Crescent
b)
First Quarter
c)
Full Moon
d)
Waning Crescent
34.
What moon phase is this?
a)
First Quarter
b)
Third Quarter
c)
Full Moon
d)
Waning Gibbous
35.
What moon phase is this?
a)
Waning Gibbous
b)
Waxing Gibbous
c)
Waxing Crescent
d)
Waning Crescent
36.
What moon phase is this?
a)
Full Moon
b)
New Moon
c)
First Quarter
d)
Third Quarter
37.
What moon phase is this?
a)
Waning Gibbous
b)
Waning Crescent
c)
Third Quarter
d)
Waxing Crescent
38.
What moon phase is this?
a)
Third Quarter
b)
First Quarter
c)
Full Moon
d)
Waxing Gibbous
39.
What moon phase is this?
a)
Waning Crescent
b)
Waxing Crescent
c)
Waning Gibbous
d)
Waxing Gibbous
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