Topic 10: Solar System

Question 1

What Does Our Solar System Consist Of?

Answer 1

planets and dwarf planets
asteroids
moons and meteoroids
the Sun

Question 2

What Is The Sun?

Answer 2

The sun is a medium-sized middle-aged star that is the centre of the solar system, and is a ball of fiery gas (Hydrogen and Helium) that is 4.6 billion years old.

It is our closest star, and gives us light and heat energy, and keeps burning due to the nuclear reactions that occur in the core (15.5 million “C). Surface temperature= 5 500”C.

Question 3

Sunspots, Sun flares, Prominence, Core:

Answer 3

Sunspot: a darker area where magnetic sandstorms occur, and is slightly cooler than the rest of the Sun’s surface.
Sun flare: explosions of gas that send out high-energy particles into space.
Prominence: loops and arcs suspended above the Sun’s surface.
Core: the centre of the sun, and the hottest area.

Question 4

What Is A Planet?

Answer 4

an almost spherical object in space that rotates around the sun in an orbital pathway, and does not collide with other planets. A dwarf planet is the opposite.

Question 4

What Is A Planet?

Answer 4

an almost spherical object in space that rotates around the sun in an orbital pathway, and does not collide with other planets. A dwarf planet is the opposite.

Question 5

What Are The Inner Rocky Planets:

Answer 5

the inner rocky/terrestrial planets are the planets that have a rocky structure and are slightly smaller than the rest of the planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, are the inner rocky planets.

Question 6

What Are The Outer Planets:

Answer 6

the outer gas giants are the planets that are made up mostly of gas, such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Question 7

Tell Me Some Facts About Mercy:

Answer 7

type: smallest terrestrial planet (as small as Earth’s moon).
temperature: its temp range is 241”C.
moons: it has no moons or rings

Question 8

Tell Me Some Facts About Venus:

Answer 8

type: 3rd smallest terrestrial planet, and almost same size as Earth. brightest in the night sky- looks like a star
atmosphere: full of CO2
moons: also has no moons or rings

Question 9

Tell Me Some Facts About Earth

Answer 9

type: 4th smallest terrestrial planet, and is the only planet that sustains life.
atmosphere: it consists of 21% Oxygen, 78% Nitrogen and 1% other gasses.
moons: it has only one moon
size: it is 12 756 km

Question 10

Tell Me Some Facts About Mars:

Answer 10

type: it is the 2nd smallest terrestrial planet, and looks bright reddish brown
atmosphere: it has a thin atmosphere, with temperatures similar to Earth
moons: it has 2 moons, Phobos and Deimos

Question 11

Tell Me Some Facts About Jupiter:

Answer 11

type: largest gas outer planet, with a bright red spot, that is believed to be a whirlwind sandstorm.
atmosphere: consists of Hydrogen and Helium, with temperatures of -148”C
moons: it has 60+ moons. first 5 discovered by Galileo Galilei.

Question 12

Tell Me Some Facts About Saturn:

Answer 12

type: 2nd outer gas giant, with bright rings around it that are ice crystals
atmosphere: also consists of Hydrogen & Helium- temp of 148”C
moons: 31 known moons, largest= Titan.

Question 13

Tell Me Some Facts About Uranus:

Answer 13

type: 3rd largest outer gas giant, with temp of -218”C (only planet lying on its side with poles sticking out side wards)
atmosphere: consists of methane, ammonia, water, H &He
moons: 27 known moons

Question 14

Tell Me Some Facts About Neptune:

Answer 14

type: 4th largest outer gas planet, which was discovered through maths, and takes 165 years to complete revolution around its own axis.
atmosphere: Great Dark Spot which is the same as the hole in Earth’s ozone layer.
moons: it has 7 known moons (largest= Triton)

Question 15

Moon:

Answer 15

a body in space that revolves around the same planet. Does not emit light, but instead reflects light from the sun.

Question 16

Asteroid:

Answer 16

rocky body in space that comes from comets and

Question 16

Asteroid:

Answer 16

Rocky body found in space that is made of the same material as terrestrial planets, and has iron core. Found in the Asteroid Belt.

Question 17

Asteroid Belt:

Answer 17

area where hundreds of pieces of rock race around sun.

Question 18

Meteoroid:

Answer 18

body in space that is smaller than and asteroid, but also comes from the asteroid belt.

Question 19

Meteor:

Answer 19

meteoroid that breaks away from Asteroid Belt and enters the Earth’s atmosphere

Question 20

Meteorite:

Answer 20

remains of meteor, when it did not fully burn up.

Question 21

What is A Comet?

Answer 21

body made of frozen gasses that come from outer planets, and orbit the solar system, then leave.
The head is made of lumps of rock bound together by bits of ice.
they melt when the move past the solar system, leaving trails of liquid and gas behind () tail, and leading a bright ring that is of gas and dust.

Question 22

Gravity:

Answer 22

a natural force of an object that attracts other objects.

Sun has the largest mass, thus attracting all the planets to orbit around it.

Question 23

Galaxy:

Answer 23

collection of stars held together by their mutual gravity. it has a spiral form with many arms.

Question 24

Milky Way Galaxy:

Answer 24

our Galaxy, which was firs