Transcript Space Facts Section B – The Planets Mercury Closest planet to the Sun  Takes the least amount of time to orbit the Sun 

Space Facts
Section B – The Planets
Mercury
Closest planet to the Sun
 Takes the least amount of
time to orbit the Sun
 Not large enough for its
gravity to hold onto a moon
or much of an atmosphere.
 No Moons

Venus
The surface is hot (869)
and the atmosphere is
dense and contains
carbon dioxide and
sulfuric acid.
 Second planet from the
Sun

Earth
Has volcanic eruptions and
earthquakes.
 Sunlight, a nitrogen and
oxygen-rich atmosphere
 Large oceans and the
greenhouse effect makes
climates that supports life.
 Third planet from the Sun.

Mars
The largest canyon in the solar
system
 Called the Red Planet
 Valles Marineris, is as wide as
the United States.
 Might have had running water at
one time. Has ice caps
 Largest volcano in the solar
system, Olympus Mons

Jupiter
The largest planet has an
atmosphere of cold
hydrogen gas.
 It has many moons, so far
17 have been found.
 It has a giant red spot that
is thought to be a storm

Saturn
Mostly gas, but less dense,
making it very light that it
could float on water.
 It has 18 moons.
 It is known for its beautiful
rings which are made of
millions of bits of ice.

Uranus
Atmosphere of methane
gas
 set of dark, narrow rings
that run from top to
bottom, instead of around.

Neptune
Is the bluest planet because
of its methane gas
atmosphere
 Its moon, Triton, has
volcanoes
 Crosses Pluto’s path as it
orbits the Sun
 Has a set of dark rings

Pluto
Does not have a thick
atmosphere
 Discovered in 1930
 Has one moon called
Charon
 Smallest planet
 Covered by layers of ice

Asteroids
A wide belt of small objects
that orbit the Sun between
Mars and Jupiter.
 Sometimes called minor
planets.
 Might be the remains of
planets pulled apart or
leftovers from the formation
of the solar system

Meteors
Parts or pieces of meteoroids
that fall from space
 No bigger than a grain of sand
 Sometimes called a Shooting
star.

Meteoroids

Part of the dust and gas
trail left behind by a
comet
Meteorite

A piece of rock that falls
and lands on the Earth
from space
Comets
These are chunks of ice
and rock left over from the
formation of our solar
system
 They move around the Sun
in a long oval-shaped
orbits

How are meteors related
to comets?

Meteors are the dust
and rock particles that
fall from the tail of a
comet
Scientist attempt to find out if
there is other intelligent life in the
universe

Scientist use radio
telescopes to try to
detect signs of life
sending coded messages
called SETI into space
1. I’m the closest planet to
the sun, what planet am I?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Mercury
Saturn
Venus
Earth
MERCURY
2.
I’m called the Red Planet,
who am I?
A. Mars
B. Jupiter
C. Pluto
D. Mercury

MARS
3. I’m pieces of meteoroids that
fall from space, what am I?
A. comets
 B. Asteroids
 C. Meteors
 D. Pluto

METEORS
4. What is a fact about Neptune?




A. Smallest of all the planets
B. Has a moon called Triton
C. No moons at all
D. Largest canyon in the solar
system
HAS A MOON CALLED
TRITON
5. What is SETI?
A. A radio station
 B. The way to send a
message to your mom
 C. Scientist way to send
messages into space
looking for intelligent life
 D. The largest planet in
the solar system

C. Scientist way to send
messages into space
looking for intelligent life
6. Which planet has
earthquakes?
 A. Mars
 B. Saturn
 C. Earth
 D. Pluto
C. Earth
7. I’m chunks of ice and rock
left over from the formation of
our solar system that move in
an oval- shaped path around
the sun, what am I?
A. Meteors
 B. Pluto
 C. Comets
 D. Columbus

C. Comets
8. I am the smallest planet and only
discovered in 1930, who am I?
A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

Venus
Jupiter
Pluto
Earth
C. Pluto
9. A wide belt of small objects
between Mars and Jupiter is
called?
A. Comets
B. Neptune’s craters
C. SETI
D. Asteroid Belt

D. Asteroid Belt
10. What are dust and
particles left behind by a
comet ?
A. Meteorites
B. Meteors
C. Meteoroids
D. asteroids

C. Meteoroids
11. When a piece of a rock falls
from space and lands on the Earth
its called?
A. Asteroid Belt
B. Comet
C. Meteorite
D. Superman’s
capsule

C. Meteorite
12. I
am the largest Planet, who
am I?
A. Saturn
 B. Jupiter
 C. Mercury
 D. Earth

B. Jupiter
13. I
am so light I could float
on water, who am I?
A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
C. Uranus
D. Pluto

B. Saturn
14. Saturn is known for its?
 A. Beautiful Rings
 B. Because it’s the Red
Planet
 C. Smallest planet
 D. Second planet from
the Sun
A. Beautiful
Rings
15. Uranus is known for?
A. Rings that go up and
down instead of around the
middle
 B. Its asteroid belt
 C. the comet that circles its
equator
 D. Its 18 moons

A. Rings that go up
and down instead of
around the middle
16. The surface of this planet is
very hot (869 ) and it is the
second planet from the sun.
o
A. Mercury
B. Pluto
C. Venus
D. Mars

C. Venus
17. Can you name the
9 planets in our solar
system?
MERCURY
VENUS
EARTH
MARS
JUPITER
SATURN
URANUS
NEPTUNE
PLUTO
18. I have a giant red spot that is
thought to be a storm, who am I?
A. Jupiter
B. Pluto
C. Earth
D. Mercury

A. Jupiter
19. I have large oceans and
oxygen-rich environment,
who am I?
 A. Uranus
 B. Asteroid Belt
 C. Jupiter
 D. Earth
D. Earth
20. How are meteors related to
comets?
 A. Meteors are in the dust of
a comet’s tail
 B. Meteors are what falls
from the tail of a comet.
 C. Comets come from falling
meteors crashing to the earth.
 D. Comets are falling
meteors
B. Meteors are
what falls from the
tail of a comet.
21. What is a Meteorite?
A. A falling Comet
 B. A shooting star
 C. A meteor that hits the
earth
 D. none of the above they
are just in fairy tales

C. A meteor that
hits the earth
22. How many planets do we
talk about in our solar system
right now?
A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

6
12
18
9
D. 9
23. What is are the inner
planets?
 A. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
and Uranus
 B. Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars
 C. Mercury,Saturn,
Uranus, and Pluto
B. Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars
24. Which are the outer planets?
A. Just Neptune,
Uranus, and Pluto
B. Mercury, Venus,
Earth, and Mars
 C. All the planets after
the Asteroid Belt

C. All the planets
after the Asteroid
Belt
25. What comes after Mars in
space that is not a planet?
A. Meteors following
a comet
 B. The asteroid belt
 C. SETI messages
 D. Shooting Stars

B. The
asteroid belt
26. What are asteroids made of?
A.
 B.
 C.
 D.

Snow
Rocks and ice
candy canes
Alien ships
B. Rocks and ice
27. Explain how meteoroid, meteor,
and meteorite are related.
A. They are all the same
thing, just at a different stage
of its life.
 B. They are totally different
rock of ice that all fly with
comets
 C. They all fall from the sky
on different days

A. They are all the same
thing, just at a different
stage of its life.
28. Which planet has the largest
volcano in the solar system?
A. Mars
 B. Mercury
 C. Saturn
 D. Pluto

A. Mars
29. Which facts describe Neptune?
A. The bluest planet
 B. Has a moon called
Triton
 C. Crosses Pluto’s path
as it orbits the sun
 D. All of the above

D. All of the above
30. What facts describe Pluto?
A. Discovered in 1930
 B. has a moon called
Charon
 C. Smallest planet
 D. Covered by layers of
ice
 F.
All of the above

F. All of the above