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The Solar System and Beyond

Total questions: 41

Worksheet time: 21mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What divides the inner and outer planets?

a)

Kuiper Belt

b)

Asteroid Belt

c)

Gaspar

d)

Supernova

2.

What are two of the inner planets?

a)

Venus and Saturn

b)

Mars and Venus

c)

Earth and Neptune

d)

Mercury and Jupiter

3.

During which phase is the entire Moon lit?

a)

Full moon

b)

First quarter

c)

New moon

d)

Third quarter

4.

What is the basic shape of every planet's orbit?

a)

circle

b)

ellipse

c)

oval

d)

round

5.

What are all the galaxies and all their stars called?

a)

universe

b)

light year

c)

super galaxy

d)

supernova

6.

What is the imaginary line around which Earth rotates?

a)

axis

b)

orbit

c)

rotation

d)

revolution

7.

What is the Sun the center of?

a)

The solar system

b)

The Milky Way

c)

Ursa Major

d)

Ursa Minor

8.

Which statement is NOT true?

a)

Earth spins on its axis

b)

The Moon spins on its axis

c)

Both Earth and the Moon revolve around the Sun

d)

The Sun spins on its axis

9.

After a(n) ______ occurs, for a few days it may shine more brightly than a whole galaxy.

a)

supernova

b)

black hole

c)

constellation

d)

comet

10.

Which of these statements about the Sun TRUE?

a)

The Sun is a star

b)

The Sun is a galaxy

c)

The Sun is a planet

d)

The Sun is the solar system

11.

Which planet has an atmosphere of thick clouds that trap solar energy and can get as hot as 470° C?

a)

Jupiter

b)

Saturn

c)

Mercury

d)

Venus

12.

What are the outer planets often called?

a)

super galaxies

b)

supernovas

c)

gas giants

d)

the universe

13.

Which planet is often called the Red Planet?

a)

Mars

b)

Saturn

c)

Uranus

d)

Mercury

14.

What are the inner planet mostly made of?

a)

helium and methane

b)

hydrogen and oxygen

c)

rocky minerals

d)

a mixture of gases

15.

What is made up of eight planets and numerous other objects that orbit the Sun?

a)

orbit

b)

solar system

c)

constellations

d)

comets

16.

What moves between the Sun and the Earth during a SOLAR eclipse?

a)

planets

b)

the Moon

c)

galaxies

d)

stars

17.

What happens during a WAXING moon?

a)

phases are growing bigger

b)

phases are growing smaller

c)

a full moon

d)

a new moon

18.

What does the rotation of the Earth on its axis cause?

a)

tides

b)

day and night

c)

eclipse

d)

phase

19.

What season is it when your part of the Earth is tilted TOWARD the Sun?

a)

winter

b)

summer

c)

spring

d)

fall

20.

How long does it take the Earth to rotate on its axis one time?

a)

24 hours

b)

1 month

c)

12 hours

d)

1 week

21.

What is the spinning of Earth on its axis called?

a)

revolution

b)

rotation

c)

orbit

d)

axis

22.

What is caused by the tilt of the Earth on its axis?

a)

eclipses

b)

phases

c)

tides

d)

seasons

23.

What season is it when your part of the Earth is tilted AWAY from the Sun?

a)

summer

b)

fall

c)

winter

d)

spring

24.

What is the movement of the Earth around the Sun called?

a)

revolution

b)

rotation

c)

orbit

d)

eclipse

25.

How long does it take the moon to revolve around the Earth?

a)

1 year

b)

1 week

c)

27.3 days

d)

45 days

26.

What is happening during a WANING moon?

a)

phases are growing bigger

b)

phases are growing smaller

c)

a full moon

d)

a new moon

27.

What happens during a LUNAR eclipse?

a)

The Sun gets between the Earth and the Moon

b)

The Moon gets between the Sun and the Earth

c)

The galaxies collide

d)

The Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon

28.

What is equal to 150 million km and is used to measure long distances?

a)

Astronomical Unit

b)

Mile

c)

Light year

d)

Inch

29.

Which is an example of a planet that supports life?

a)

Mars

b)

Venus

c)

Saturn

d)

Earth

30.

What is a large body of frozen ice and rock that travels toward the center of the Solar System?

a)

meteorite

b)

comet

c)

constellation

d)

galaxy

31.

Which of the following takes the least amount of time?

a)

Earth rotates once

b)

Earth orbits once

c)

The Moon revolves once

d)

They all take the same amount of time

32.

Which of these statements about Mars is FALSE?

a)

Mars has two small moons

b)

Mars is often called the Red Planet

c)

Mars looks red because its surface contains iron oxide, known as rust

d)

Mars is known for its dazzling rings and its atmosphere seems to be much like that of Earth long ago

33.

The color of a star is a clue to what?

a)

temperature

b)

orbit

c)

size

d)

distance

34.

Which of these is the Earth a part of?

a)

Oort cloud

b)

Milky Way

c)

Kuiper Belt

d)

None of the these

35.

What is the Great Red Spot known as?

a)

rocks on Mars

b)

Saturn's rings

c)

a giant storm on Jupiter

d)

the giant red star Betelgeuse

36.

The eight planets and other objects that revolve around the Sun are referred to as what?

a)

galaxy

b)

universe

c)

solar system

d)

constellation

37.

What are a group of stars that form a pattern in the sky called?

a)

galaxy

b)

Milky Way

c)

solar system

d)

constellation

38.

What do both Venus and Earth experience because of heat trapped by their atmospheres?

a)

cloud cover

b)

slow rotation

c)

greenhouse effect

d)

cooling effect

39.

Summer occurs on the hemisphere of Earth that is what?

a)

tilted toward the Sun

b)

tilted away from the Sun

c)

turned toward the Sun

d)

turned away from the Sun

40.

During what phase is more of the Moon visible each night?

a)

waxing

b)

waning

c)

New Moon

d)

Full Moon

41.

What is the revolution period for Earth?

a)

365 days

b)

180 days

c)

24 hours

d)

12 hours