Grade 6 - Tour of the Solar System

Question 1

What does the Solar System consist of?

Answer 1

The sun, planets, moons or satellites, stars, and other heavenly bodies such as asteroids, comets, and meteors.

Question 2

An oval-shaped with two points called foci?

Answer 2

ellipse

Question 3

Two fixed points in an ellipse.

Answer 3

foci

Question 4

The force that always pulls objects together.

Answer 4

gravity

Question 5

What is the orbit shape of the planets around the sun?

Answer 5

The orbit of a planet around the Sun is an ellipse, with the Sun at one of the two foci.

Question 6

How are the planets in the Solar system grouped?

Answer 6

According to their characteristics and location relative to the sun.

Question 7

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, belong to the group called?

Answer 7

rocky or terrestrial planets.

Question 8

Terrestrial, from the Latin word terra, means.

Answer 8

Earth

Question 9

Why the terrestrial planets are also called innermost planets?

Answer 9

Because they all orbit close to the sun.

Question 10

The planet that was named after the fast, wing-footed god in Roman mythology who served as the messenger for all the gods?

Answer 10

Mercury

Question 11

This planet can make one complete revolution around the sun in 88 days and one rotation in 58 days.

Answer 11

Mercury

Question 12

In 1973 and 1974, an unmanned spacecraft named ________ visited Mercury to provide scientists photographs of the planet.

Answer 12

Mariner 10

Question 13

Mercury is composed mainly of the elements _______ and _______.

Answer 13

Hydrogen
Helium

Question 14

What is the name of the robotic spacecraft that was sent by NASA to orbit the planet Mercury in 2004?

Answer 14

Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER)

Question 15

When did the MESSENGER complete its primary mission?

Answer 15

March 2012

Question 16

What was the primary mission of the MESSENGER?

Answer 16

To conduct a thorough observation and study on Mercury’s chemical, geological, and magnetic properties.

Question 17

Provide information obtained from the Messenger’s exploration.

Answer 17

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

Question 18

The planet that is called the evening star and morning star.

Answer 18

Venus

Question 19

This planet is sometimes called Earth’s twin.

Answer 19

Venus

Question 20

Why is Venus called the evening and morning star?

Answer 20

It is called the evening star because it is seen shortly after sunset, and the morning star because it is seen just before sunrise.

Question 21

The planet that is named after the Roman goddess of beauty.

Answer 21

Venus

Question 22

A planet that rotates backward is said to undergo _______.

Answer 22

retrograde rotation

Question 23

This planet can have one complete rotation in 243 days and one complete revolution in 225 days.

Answer 23

Venus

Question 24

The fourth planet from the sun and it is also called the Red planet.

Answer 24

Mars

Question 25

The planet that is named after the Roman god of war.

Answer 25

Mars

Question 26

An orbiting spacecraft that's designed to provide global maps of surface, topography, and mineral distribution, and to monitor global weather.

Answer 26

Mars Global Surveyor

Question 27

Mars Pathfinder landed on the red planet and brought a small robot called?

Answer 27

Sojouner

Question 28

Mars has two moons, named?

Answer 28

Phobos Deimos

Question 29

Earth consist of 3 layers.

Answer 29

crust mantle core

Question 30

The elements that are essential to life.

Answer 30

nitrogen oxygen carbon dioxide water

Question 31

List a few of the scientific facts about the moon.

Answer 31

1. The moon's revolution around Earth and rotation about its axis are almost the same (27.22 days) 2. The lunar surface has craters, plains, and ridges. 3. The moon shows apparent changes in shape as viewed from Earth. This is called phases of the moon. 4. Solar and lunar eclipses occur due to the relative movements of the sun, Earth, and moon.

Question 32

They are also called Jovian planets, that are much bigger but less dense than the rocky planets.

Answer 32

Gas giants

Question 33

Give examples of Jovian planets.

Answer 33

Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune

Question 34

The largest planet in the solar system?

Answer 34

Jupiter

Question 35

The mass of Jupiter is mostly what element?

Answer 35

Hydrogen

Question 36

The most prominent feature on the surface of Jupiter?

Answer 36

The Great Red Spot.

Question 37

What are the four moons of Jupiter.

Answer 37

Lo Europa Ganymede Callisto

Question 38

The four moons of Jupiter are also called.

Answer 38

Galilean satellites (in honor of Galileo)

Question 39

Considered a beautiful planet because of its system of rings.

Answer 39

Saturn

Question 40

Saturn's atmosphere consists of layers of clouds containing _____.

Answer 40

hydrogen gas ammonia water other gases

Question 41

The largest moon in Saturn?

Answer 41

Titan

Question 42

These are called distant giants.

Answer 42

Uranus Neptune

Question 43

Atmosphere characteristics of Uranus and Neptune.

Answer 43

Composed primarily of hydrogen and helium with a small amount of methane

Question 44

Composition of Uranus and Neptune.

Answer 44

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.

Question 45

Examples of smaller bodies that are also part of the solar system.

Answer 45

asteroids meteoroids comets

Question 46

They are rocky and metallic objects that orbit the sun but are too small to be considered planets.

Answer 46

Asteroids

Question 47

They are also called minor planets.

Answer 47

Asteroids

Question 48

The big gap area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter is called.

Answer 48

Main asteroid belt.

Question 49

The asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet but do not collide with it are called.

Answer 49

trojans

Question 50

Asteroids that were observed to cross Earth's orbital path are called.

Answer 50

Earth-crossers.

Question 51

If the asteroids collide with one another, they may hit and break into small fragments and dust. These fragments are called...

Answer 51

meteoroids

Question 52

Meteoroids that pass through Earth's atmosphere heat up and glow. They are observed on Earth as _____.

Answer 52

shooting stars

Question 53

Meteoroids that land on Earth's surface are called ______.

Answer 53

meteorites

Question 54

Where do comets come from?

Answer 54

Comets are formed from some materials left from the formation of planets.

Question 55

The word comet comes from the Greek term kometes which means

Answer 55

long hair

Question 56

The cloudlike mass that surrounds the nucleus is called

Answer 56

coma

Question 57

When was Pluto discovered?

Answer 57

1930

Question 58

Who discovered Pluto?

Answer 58

American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh

Question 59

Pluto and objects like Eris are not planets but instead they are called.

Answer 59

dwarf planets

Question 60

Examples of other dwarf planets.

Answer 60

Ceres, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris