Planets of the Solar System Flashcards
Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System. How many Earths can be fitted inside Jupiter?
More than 130 Earths.
In Roman Mythology, he is the god of commerce, travel, and thievery. He is the Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes. A planet was named after him because the planet moves so quickly across the sky.
Mercury
In the daytime, what is Mercury’s temperature? How about at night?
430°F / 800°C ; -290°C / -180°C
Which planet has the most number of volcanoes?
Venus. It has over 1000 volcanoes.
Venus and Earth are close together in space and similar in size, which is the reason why Venus was called as ___________.
Earth’s Sister Planet
It is the only planet that has liquid water on its surface.
Earth
Earth is an old English and German word which simply means _______
soil
Which of the following is true?
a) Earth is larger than Mars, but Mars is larger than Venus.
b) Earth is the largest among the terrestrial planets.
c) Earth is smaller than Venus.
d) Earth is the smallest among the terrestrial planets.
b) Earth is the largest among the terrestrial planets.
Why is Earth the only planet that has such a wide variety of life?
The Earth’s atmosphere allows protected the planet and allowed life to flourish.
Also called the “Red Planet”. Has a very thin atmosphere mostly made of carbon dioxide.
Mars
Standing at 21 km high and 600 km across the base. What is the name of the largest volcano in the Solar System? At what planet can it be found?
Olympus Mons; Mars.
Why is Mars called the “Red Planet”?
Because of the mineral - iron oxide that is very common on the planet’s surface.
Jupiter has how many identified moons? The first 4 largest moons of Jupiter are collectively called _______.
79 moons - 53 confirmed, 26 awaiting confirmation. The Galilean Moons because they were first discovered by Galileo Galilei.
What is Jupiter’s largest moon?
Ganymede
What are the 4 Galilean Moons?
Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
What is the largest moon in Solar System? This moon orbits what planet?
Ganymede; Jupiter
Permanent but ever-changing whirlpool of storms in Jupiter. First seen by Robert Hooke (1864).
The Great Red Spot
This planet was named after the ancient Roman God of Agriculture. It is the second largest planet in the Solar System. Previously believed to be the only planet to have rings, though not the only planet with rings, no other planet has a more stunning and complex set of rings.
Saturn
Saturn has how many identified moons?
82 moons - 53 confirmed, 29 awaiting confirmation
What was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope?
Uranus. It was discovered 1781 by William Herschel.
How many identified moons does Uranus have?
27 moons.
Uranus’ moons are collectively called ________. Why?
Literary Moons. All the names of Saturn’s moons were derived from Shakespeare’s works, some from Alexander Pope’s.
How does Uranus rotate on its axis?
a) Spin like how Earth and the other planets do.
b) Rolls like a barrel.
c) Spins fastest among all the planets.
d) Moves around the sun like a top spinning on its end.
b) Rolls like a barrel.
Named after the Roman god of the sea. The farthest planet of the Solar System. A large, water planet with a blue hydrogen-methane atmosphere and faint rings.
Neptune
Why does Uranus’ color appear to be of bluish-green?
Uranus’ atmosphere is mostly made up of hydrogen but it also contains a large amount of methane. Methane absorbs red light and scatters blue light so a blue-green methane haze hides the interior form of the planet.
At what year was Neptune first discovered?
1846
Neptune has how many identified moons?
14 moons.
The first Neptunian moon that was discovered.
Triton
What is the windiest planet in the Solar System?
Neptune
What are the names of Mars’ two moons?
Phobos & deimos
