The solar system and beyond (Ms. Bird)

Question 1

What is the equator?

Answer 1

The equator is a line that separates the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 2

The Earth orbits the Sun.

How many days does it take to do one ful turn around it and what is it known as?

Answer 2

It takes 365 days + ¼ and is known as a YEAR.

Question 3

The moon orbits the Earth.

How many days does it take to do one full turn around it and what is it known as?

Answer 3

It takes 28 days and is known as a MONTH (lunar month).

Question 4

What is a satellite?

Answer 4

A satellite is something that goes around a planet.

Question 5

Is the moon also a satellite?

Answer 5

Yes, it is the Earth’s only natural satellite.

Question 6

Which hemisphere is England in?

Answer 6

The Northern hemisphere.

Question 7

Which hemisphere is Australia in?

Answer 7

The Southern hemisphere.

Question 8

How many planets are there in the Solar System?

Answer 8

There are 8 planets in our Solar System.

Question 9

Which one of these planets is the closest to the Sun:

Uranus, Mars, Mercury or Earth?

Answer 9

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun.

Question 10

Which is the smallest planet out of these 8:

Venus, Neptune, Mars, Earth, Saturn, Mercury, Uranus or Jupiter?

Answer 10

Mercury.

Question 11

Which is the biggest planet out of these 8:

Venus, Neptune, Mars, Earth, Saturn, Mercury, Uranus or Jupiter?

Answer 11

Jupiter.

Question 12

In order from the closest to the Sun to the farthest to the Sun, classify the planets of the Solar System.

Answer 12

1) Mercury, 2) Venus, 3) Earth, 4) Mars, 5) Jupiter, 6) Saturn, 7) Uranus, 8) Neptune.

Question 13

If the planets were fruits,

what would fruits would they be?

Answer 13

Mercury would be a peppercorn, Venus and Earth would both be cherry tomatos, Mars would be a blueberry, Jupiter would be a watermelon, Saturn would be a large grapefruit, Uranus would be an apple and Neptune would be a lime.

Question 14

How many moons does Jupiter have?

Answer 14

Jupiter has 16 moons.

Question 15

Do all the planets of the Solar System orbit the Sun?

Answer 15

Yes, including lots of asteroids.

Question 16

What are the “Inner Planets”?

Answer 16

They are the four closest planets to the Sun.

Question 17

What are the “Outer Planets”?

Answer 17

They are planets made of gas.

Question 18

True or false:

Planet Earth is not the only planet with life on it.

Answer 18

False.

Earth is the only one with life - the others are too hot or too cold.

Question 19

True or false:

The closer to the Sun, the hotter the planet is.

Answer 19

True.

The Sun heats up the planets.

Question 20

Roughly how many times can the Earth fit in the Sun?

Answer 20

Over one million times.

Question 21

I live in the northern hemisphere in the UK. For Christmas, I went to Australia, but instead of being cold and wet, it was dry and sunny.
Why is this?

Answer 21

While it is winter in the northern hemisphere, it is summer in the southern hemispere. This is because the Earth’s axis isn’t straight but tilted sideways.

Question 22

Which planet takes the longest to orbit the Sun and why?

Answer 22

Neptune takes the longest to orbit the Sun because it is the farthest to the Sun compared to the other planets.

Question 23

How do the planets stay in orbit?

Answer 23

Because of the gravititional pull of the Sun.

Question 24

How many times will the Earth spin (around itself) in a week?

Answer 24

Seven times.

This is because one spin = one day.

Question 25

True or false:

The imaginary line that goes though the Earth around which it spins is called an axis.

Answer 25

True.

Question 26

True or false:

The time it takes the Earth to go once round the Sun is 10 months.

Answer 26

False.

It is 12 months which is the same as a year.

Question 27

True or false:

The moon is a luminous object.

Answer 27

False.

The only reason the moon seems to provide lightis because it is the Sun that shines on it.

Question 28

When it is spring in the UK, which season is it in Australia?

Answer 28

It it autumn (fall) in Australia.