Planets of the Solar System

Question 1

Jupiter is the largest planet in our Solar System. How many Earths can be fitted inside Jupiter?

Answer 1

More than 130 Earths.

Question 2

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.

Answer 2

Mercury

Question 3

In the daytime, what is Mercury’s temperature? How about at night?

Answer 3

430°F / 800°C ; -290°C / -180°C

Question 4

Which planet has the most number of volcanoes?

Answer 4

Venus. It has over 1000 volcanoes.

Question 5

Venus and Earth are close together in space and similar in size, which is the reason why Venus was called as ___________.

Answer 5

Earth’s Sister Planet

Question 6

It is the only planet that has liquid water on its surface.

Answer 6

Earth

Question 7

Earth is an old English and German word which simply means _______

Answer 7

soil

Question 8

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.

Answer 8

b) Earth is the largest among the terrestrial planets.

Question 9

Why is Earth the only planet that has such a wide variety of life?

Answer 9

The Earth’s atmosphere allows protected the planet and allowed life to flourish.

Question 10

Also called the “Red Planet”. Has a very thin atmosphere mostly made of carbon dioxide.

Answer 10

Mars

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

Olympus Mons; Mars.

Question 12

Why is Mars called the “Red Planet”?

Answer 12

Because of the mineral - iron oxide that is very common on the planet’s surface.

Question 13

Jupiter has how many identified moons? The first 4 largest moons of Jupiter are collectively called _______.

Answer 13

79 moons - 53 confirmed, 26 awaiting confirmation. The Galilean Moons because they were first discovered by Galileo Galilei.

Question 14

What is Jupiter’s largest moon?

Answer 14

Ganymede

Question 15

What are the 4 Galilean Moons?

Answer 15

Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

Question 16

What is the largest moon in Solar System? This moon orbits what planet?

Answer 16

Ganymede; Jupiter

Question 17

Permanent but ever-changing whirlpool of storms in Jupiter. First seen by Robert Hooke (1864).

Answer 17

The Great Red Spot

Question 18

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.

Answer 18

Saturn

Question 19

Saturn has how many identified moons?

Answer 19

82 moons - 53 confirmed, 29 awaiting confirmation

Question 20

What was the first planet to be discovered with a telescope?

Answer 20

Uranus. It was discovered 1781 by William Herschel.

Question 21

How many identified moons does Uranus have?

Answer 21

27 moons.

Question 22

Uranus’ moons are collectively called ________. Why?

Answer 22

Literary Moons. All the names of Saturn’s moons were derived from Shakespeare’s works, some from Alexander Pope’s.

Question 23

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.

Answer 23

b) Rolls like a barrel.

Question 24

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.

Answer 24

Neptune

Question 25

Why does Uranus’ color appear to be of bluish-green?

Answer 25

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.

Question 26

At what year was Neptune first discovered?

Answer 26

1846

Question 27

Neptune has how many identified moons?

Answer 27

14 moons.

Question 28

The first Neptunian moon that was discovered.

Answer 28

Triton

Question 29

What is the windiest planet in the Solar System?

Answer 29

Neptune

Question 30

What are the names of Mars’ two moons?

Answer 30

Phobos & deimos