Grade 6 - Tour of the Solar System Flashcards
What does the Solar System consist of?
The sun, planets, moons or satellites, stars, and other heavenly bodies such as asteroids, comets, and meteors.
An oval-shaped with two points called foci?
ellipse
Two fixed points in an ellipse.
foci
The force that always pulls objects together.
gravity
What is the orbit shape of the planets around the sun?
The orbit of a planet around the Sun is an ellipse, with the Sun at one of the two foci.
How are the planets in the Solar system grouped?
According to their characteristics and location relative to the sun.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, belong to the group called?
rocky or terrestrial planets.
Terrestrial, from the Latin word terra, means.
Earth
Why the terrestrial planets are also called innermost planets?
Because they all orbit close to the sun.
The planet that was named after the fast, wing-footed god in Roman mythology who served as the messenger for all the gods?
Mercury
This planet can make one complete revolution around the sun in 88 days and one rotation in 58 days.
Mercury
In 1973 and 1974, an unmanned spacecraft named ________ visited Mercury to provide scientists photographs of the planet.
Mariner 10
Mercury is composed mainly of the elements _______ and _______.
Hydrogen
Helium
What is the name of the robotic spacecraft that was sent by NASA to orbit the planet Mercury in 2004?
Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER)
When did the MESSENGER complete its primary mission?
March 2012
What was the primary mission of the MESSENGER?
To conduct a thorough observation and study on Mercury’s chemical, geological, and magnetic properties.
Provide information obtained from the Messenger’s exploration.
Mercury’s thin atmosphere is composed mostly of oxygen (O2), sodium (Na), hydrogen (H2), Helium (He), and potassium (K)
more evidence of water ice at the planet’s poles
surface temperature can sometimes reach 427 degrees Celsius (800 degrees Fahrenheit)
an unknown process is causing Mercury’s surface to swell
planet’s massive core of iron is now 85% of its structure
potassium and sulfur elements are present on the planet’s surface.
massive lava flows that dumped miles of molten rock over large sections of the planet
The planet that is called the evening star and morning star.
Venus
This planet is sometimes called Earth’s twin.
Venus
Why is Venus called the evening and morning star?
It is called the evening star because it is seen shortly after sunset, and the morning star because it is seen just before sunrise.
The planet that is named after the Roman goddess of beauty.
Venus
A planet that rotates backward is said to undergo _______.
retrograde rotation
This planet can have one complete rotation in 243 days and one complete revolution in 225 days.
Venus
The fourth planet from the sun and it is also called the Red planet.
Mars
The planet that is named after the Roman god of war.
Mars
An orbiting spacecraft that’s designed to provide global maps of surface, topography, and mineral distribution, and to monitor global weather.
Mars Global Surveyor
Mars Pathfinder landed on the red planet and brought a small robot called?
Sojouner
Mars has two moons, named?
Phobos
Deimos
Earth consist of 3 layers.
crust
mantle
core
The elements that are essential to life.
nitrogen
oxygen
carbon dioxide
water
List a few of the scientific facts about the moon.
- The moon’s revolution around Earth and rotation about its axis are almost the same (27.22 days)
- The lunar surface has craters, plains, and ridges.
- The moon shows apparent changes in shape as viewed from Earth. This is called phases of the moon.
- Solar and lunar eclipses occur due to the relative movements of the sun, Earth, and moon.
They are also called Jovian planets, that are much bigger but less dense than the rocky planets.
Gas giants
Give examples of Jovian planets.
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune
The largest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
The mass of Jupiter is mostly what element?
Hydrogen
The most prominent feature on the surface of Jupiter?
The Great Red Spot.
What are the four moons of Jupiter.
Lo
Europa
Ganymede
Callisto
The four moons of Jupiter are also called.
Galilean satellites (in honor of Galileo)
Considered a beautiful planet because of its system of rings.
Saturn
Saturn’s atmosphere consists of layers of clouds containing _____.
hydrogen gas
ammonia
water
other gases
The largest moon in Saturn?
Titan
These are called distant giants.
Uranus
Neptune
Atmosphere characteristics of Uranus and Neptune.
Composed primarily of hydrogen and helium with a small amount of methane
Composition of Uranus and Neptune.
The outer layer is composed mainly of nitrogen. The inner layer is composed of methane, ammonia, and water. The core is probably composed of a mixture of rocks and metals.
Examples of smaller bodies that are also part of the solar system.
asteroids
meteoroids
comets
They are rocky and metallic objects that orbit the sun but are too small to be considered planets.
Asteroids
They are also called minor planets.
Asteroids
The big gap area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is called.
Main asteroid belt.
The asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet but do not collide with it are called.
trojans
Asteroids that were observed to cross Earth’s orbital path are called.
Earth-crossers.
If the asteroids collide with one another, they may hit and break into small fragments and dust. These fragments are called…
meteoroids
Meteoroids that pass through Earth’s atmosphere heat up and glow. They are observed on Earth as _____.
shooting stars
Meteoroids that land on Earth’s surface are called ______.
meteorites
Where do comets come from?
Comets are formed from some materials left from the formation of planets.
The word comet comes from the Greek term kometes which means
long hair
The cloudlike mass that surrounds the nucleus is called
coma
When was Pluto discovered?
1930
Who discovered Pluto?
American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh
Pluto and objects like Eris are not planets but instead they are called.
dwarf planets
Examples of other dwarf planets.
Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris
