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WorksheetsSolar System Test 2023-2024
Total questions: 79
Worksheet time: 40mins
What is the approximate age of the universe?
13.8 billion years
4.5 billion years
10 billion years
1 billion years
What is the approximate age of the Earth?
13.8 billion years
4.5 billion years
10 billion years
1 billion years
What are the two most common elements in the universe?
Hydrogen and Helium
Oxygen and Carbon
Nitrogen and Hydrogen
Iron and Silicon
What process fuels stars?
Nuclear fusion
Chemical reaction
Gravity
Electromagnetic radiation
True or False. Stars last forever.
True
False
What is the most massive object in our solar system?
The Sun
Jupiter
Earth
Saturn
Which planets are terrestrial planets?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake
Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, Hygiea
Which planets are considered "gas giants"?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake
Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, Hygiea
What holds all the objects in our solar system in orbit?
Gravity
Magnetism
Electromagnetic force
Centrifugal force
What are the three criteria used to define a planet?
Large size, rings, many moons
Orbits a star, has liquid oceans, thick atmosphere
Orbits the Sun, spherical shape, cleared its orbit of other debris
Mass, density, magnetic field
What is the term used to describe planets of solar systems other than our own?
Exoplanets
Interplanets
Astroplanets
Outerplanets
What comet collided with Jupiter?
Halley's Comet
Hale-Bopp
Shoemaker-Levy 9
Comet ISON
What asteroid did Galileo do the first flyby imaging of?
Ceres
Pallas
Ida
Eros
Mercury is closest to the Sun but is it the hottest?
Yes
No
What does Mercury's orbit look like?
Circular
Elliptical
Parabolic
Hyperbolic
How long does it take for Mercury to orbit the Sun?
88 days
365 days
1 year
10 years
Does Mercury have rings?
Yes
No
What two missions have explored Mercury?
Viking and Voyager
Cassini and Galileo
Mariner 10 and MESSENGER
New Horizons and Juno
How does the gravity of Mercury compare to Earth?
Mercury has stronger gravity than Earth
Mercury has weaker gravity than Earth
Mercury has the same gravity as Earth
Mercury has no gravity
Why is Venus called Earth's twin?
Because it has a similar size and composition to Earth
Because it has a similar atmosphere to Earth
Because it has a similar temperature to Earth
Because it has a similar magnetic field to Earth
Describe the rotation of Venus as compared to Earth.
Venus rotates in the opposite direction of Earth
Venus rotates at a faster speed than Earth
Venus rotates at a slower speed than Earth
Venus rotates in the same direction and at the same speed as Earth
How many moons does Venus have?
0
1
2
3
Why is Venus so hot?
Because it is closer to the Sun than Earth
Because of its thick atmosphere
Because of its active volcanoes
Because of its greenhouse effect
Rain on Venus is described as what?
Sulfuric acid rain
Water rain
Methane rain
Carbon dioxide rain
What gas makes up the atmosphere of Venus?
Oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Nitrogen
Methane
Earth is the only world in our solar system with what on its surface?
Liquid water
Mountains
Forests
Cities
A day on Earth lasts how long?
24 hours
12 hours
48 hours
6 hours
A year on Earth lasts how long? Be specific.
365 days
366 days
365.25 days
364 days
How many moons does Earth have?
0
1
2
3
Earth the only planet known have what?
Life
Water
Oxygen
Mountains
What gasses make up Earth's atmosphere?
Oxygen (21%) and Nitrogen (78%)
Carbon dioxide (90%) and Methane (10%)
Hydrogen (50%) and Helium (50%)
Water vapor (40%) and Oxygen (60%)
NASA has 2 rovers, one lander, and one helicopter exploring the surface of Mars. What are their names?
Curiosity, Perseverance, InSight, Ingenuity
Opportunity, Spirit, Phoenix, Dragonfly
Voyager, Cassini, Juno, New Horizons
Hubble, Kepler, Chandra, Spitzer
How many moons does Mars have?
0
1
2
3
Mars has the tallest mountain-volcano in the solar system. What's it called?
Mount Everest
Olympus Mons
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Fuji
What surface feature on Mars runs along the center of the planet and is as long as 10 Grand Canyons?
Valles Marineris
Olympus Mons
Tharsis Montes
Hellas Planitia
What other countries, besides the US, have had spacecraft land on Mars in 2021?
China and Russia
India and Japan
European Space Agency and United Arab Emirates
Canada and Australia
Why is Mars known as the Red Planet?
Because it is covered in red sand
Because it has a red atmosphere
Because it has red mountains
Because of the iron oxide on its surface
What is the area between Mars and Jupiter called?
Asteroid Belt
Kuiper Belt
Oort Cloud
Comet Cloud
What are the four largest asteroids found in the area between Mars and Jupiter?
Ceres, Pallas, Vesta, Hygiea
Eris, Haumea, Makemake, Sedna
Pluto, Charon, Nix, Hydra
Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa
Does Jupiter have rings?
Yes
No
What is Jupiter's Great Red Spot?
A giant storm
A volcano
A mountain range
A canyon
What are the 4 major moons of Jupiter?
Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa
Titan, Enceladus, Mimas, Tethys
Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania
Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx
What orbiter is currently orbiting Jupiter?
Juno
Cassini
Voyager
New Horizons
Saturn is classified as what type of planet?
Terrestrial planet
Gas giant
Ice giant
Dwarf planet
What are the major moons of Saturn?
Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa
Titan, Enceladus, Mimas, Tethys
Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania
Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx
What happened to the Cassini spacecraft?
It crashed into Saturn's atmosphere
It landed on Titan
It was captured by Saturn's gravity
It was destroyed by a meteoroid
Who was Uranus discovered by?
Galileo Galilei
Isaac Newton
William Herschel
Johannes Kepler
Does Uranus have rings?
Yes
No
What is the only spacecraft to do a flyby of Uranus?
Voyager 2
Cassini
New Horizons
Juno
What is unique about the way Uranus rotates?
It rotates on its side and backwards
It rotates backwards
It rotates very slowly
It rotates very fast
What are 3 major moons of Uranus?
Ganymede, Callisto, Io
Titan, Enceladus, Mimas
Miranda, Titania, Oberon
Charon, Nix, Hydra
What is the only spacecraft to visit Neptune?
Voyager 2
Cassini
New Horizons
Juno
Does Neptune have rings?
Yes
No
A very large storm feature on the surface of Neptune is named?
Great Red Spot
Great Dark Spot
Great White Spot
Great Blue Spot
Pluto is what type of planet?
Terrestrial planet
Gas giant
Ice giant
Dwarf planet
Where is Pluto located?
Asteroid Belt
Kuiper Belt
Oort Cloud
Comet Cloud
What spacecraft visited Pluto and when?
Voyager 2 in 1989
Cassini in 2004
New Horizons in 2015
Juno in 2016
What cool surface feature was discovered on Pluto? (HINT - it's a shape)
Crater
Mountain
Canyon
Heart
What are the names of Pluto's moons?
Ganymede, Callisto, Io, Europa
Titan, Enceladus, Mimas, Tethys
Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania
Charon, Nix, Hydra, Styx
When meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere what is it called?
Meteor
Meteorite
Meteoroid
Meteor shower
What is a meteoroid called once it hits the ground?
Meteor
Meteorite
Meteoroid
Meteor shower
How are meteor showers named?
After the constellation they appear to come from
After the scientist who discovered them
After the year they were first observed
After the shape of the meteors
What is the largest asteroid?
Ceres
Pallas
Vesta
Hygiea
What is the most common shape of an asteroid?
Spherical
Cylindrical
Triangular
Irregular
Are all asteroids the same?
Yes
No
What forms a comet's tail?
Dust and gas
Ice and rock
Magnetic fields
Solar wind
Describe a comet's orbit.
Circular
Elliptical
Parabolic
Hyperbolic
What gasses make up the Sun?
Oxygen and Nitrogen
Carbon dioxide and Methane
Hydrogen and Helium
Water vapor and Oxygen
What state of matter is the Sun?
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Plasma
What is the part of the Sun that we see called?
The core
The photosphere
The chromosphere
The corona
Where is the Kuiper Belt located?
Between Mars and Jupiter
Beyond Neptune's orbit
Beyond Pluto's orbit
Between Earth and Mars
The Kuiper Belt and the Oort cloud are thought to be sources of what?
Comets
Asteroids
Meteoroids
Planets
The most distant region in our solar system is called the?
Kuiper Belt
Oort Cloud
Comet Cloud
Asteroid Belt
What are the three types of galaxies?
Spiral, Elliptical, Irregular
Red, Green, Blue
Big, Medium, Small
Hot, Warm, Cold
What 2 spacecraft are the only spacecraft to leave our solar system?
Voyager 1 and Voyager 2
Cassini and Galileo
New Horizons and Juno
Hubble and Kepler
What New Horizons exploring?
Mars
Jupiter
Saturn
Pluto
What scientist's study of the stars revealed that the universe is expanding?
Albert Einstein
Isaac Newton
Edwin Hubble
Galileo Galilei
What is at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy?
A black hole
A star cluster
A nebula
A supernova
Phobos and Deimos are moons which planet?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Pluto
