What is the name of the galaxy we live in?

a) Snickersb) Twix

c) Milky Wayd) Kit-Kat

How many planets are there in our solar system?

a) 4

b) 7

c) 8

d) 9

Remember…Pluto is not a planet, he’s a

dwarf

What is the largest object and the center of the solar system?

a) Sun

b) Ceres

c) Moon

d) Comets

What planet is called the Red Planet?

a) Mercuryb) Jupiter

c) Mars

d) Saturn

Which is the largest planetin the solar system?

a) Earth

b) Jupiter

c) Venus

d) Saturn

Which planet is known for its many large rings?

a) Neptuneb) Jupiter

c) Mercuryd) Saturn

What objects are called dirty snowballs?

a) Asteroidsb) Stars

c) Comets

d) moons

What objects fill the sky and there are more then 100 billion

of them?a)

Asteroidsb) Stars

c) Comets

d) moons

What is the only planet that has humans or animals on it

(where we live)?a) Mars

b) Earth

c) Venus

d) Jupiter

Which planet is the brightest?

a) Mars

b) Earth

c) Venus

d) Uranus

Where is the highest volcano/mountain

(Olympus Mons) located? a) Mars

b) Earth

c) Venus

d) Pluto

Which is the smallest planet?

a) Mercury

b) Neptunec) Venus

d) Pluto

What objects are in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter, in a

“belt”? a)

Asteroidsb) Cometsc) Stars

d) Meteors

What is the lazy planet, that spins on its side?

a) Uranus

b) Neptunec) Mercuryd) Pluto

Which planet has a giant storm called “The Giant Red Spot?”

a) Uranus

b) Jupiter

c) Venus

d) Sun

Which planet has a moon named Luna orbiting around it?

a) Earth

b) Jupiter

c) Venus

d) Pluto

Which planet has the largest canyon on it?

a) Earth

b) Mars

c) Venus

d) Pluto

What Planet is this?

What’s a “shooting star” called when it starts burning through Earth’s

atmosphere?a) comets

b) Moon rocksc) asteroidsd) meteor

What object is this?

What’s

in our univer

se?“Milky Way Galaxy”

Our Solar System

STARS

-are big balls of plasma

-there are more then 100 billion in our galaxy

Comets• They are like

“dirty snowballs”

• Made of rock and ice

• Form tails when they get close to the sun

“Shooting or Falling Stars”

They are not actually stars at all, they are pieces of meteoroids (dust and rock) falling into Earth’s atmosphere turn into Meteors and start burning up

Meteor Showers are from Earth running into the tail of a comet

If any pieces hit the ground, they are called meteorites

Sun: King Sol• the Largest object in our solar system

• is a medium sized star

• a million earths could fit inside the sun

•It’s not on fire, but it glows

MercuryMercury:The Crater Planet

•The most extreme planet & not for visiting• sunny side is burning hot• dark side is freezing cold+ there is no air on Mercury

•Closest to the sun

It is covered in craters, mountains and rocks

Venus: The Hostile Planet

• Lots of volcanoes, venusquakes, mountains, valleys

• Earth’s sister planet

• Extremely HOT for any kind of life to survive on its surface, it’s covered in poisonous clouds

• You can see it at night with just your own eye because it shines so bright

Earth: Our Planet

• 3/4 of Earth’s surface is covered by water

•Is very unique and an oasis of life-the only planet to support life

•Our temperature, weather, and atmosphere are set just right to keep us alive

• there is about 7 billion humans on Earth

-also there are animals, plants

•Earth has one moon, named Luna

Luna: Earth’s Moon

• It orbits Earth• It is very rocky and

covered with dirt

Mars: The Red Planet• Mars is red because of the soil (kind of rusts) “RUSTY”

• Olympus Mons – highest volcano in our solar system

• Valles Marinaris – the deepest and widest canyon in our solar system

• Mars’ atmosphere is most like ours here on Earth

Asteroids• Big rocks found in our solar system

• A ring of them are in an orbit between Mars and Jupiter called:

The Asteroid Belt

The biggest is Ceres: size of Texas

*Largest planet in the solar system

-if you weighed 70 pounds on Earth, you would weigh 185 lbs on Jupiter

The Giant Red Spot is actually a giant storm that has been raging for 300 years – it’s like a super hurricane (storm is as big as 2 earths)

-no solid surface, entire planet is an ocean

JupiterThe Giant Planet

Saturn *The 2nd biggest, but the lightest

*The Planet with rings

*Rings are almost 200,000 miles wide, but less thick then the length of a football field

*helium sky melts into a liquid chemical ocean

Uranus:The Lazy Planet

has lots of clouds, and it might be a huge ocean

has a few rings like Saturn

spins completely on its side

NEPTUNE

Has a giant storm, like Jupiter, called the The Great Dark Spot

Its most like Uranus

PLUTO: The Dwarf PlanetThe smallest planet

it’s not a real “planet” anymore

It takes 248 years to go one time around the sun

Mnemonic Phrases:Remembering the Order of the Planets

Mercury My Many My Mother

Venus Very Very Vicious Veronica

Earth Educated Elderly Earthworm Enjoyed

Mars Mother Men Might My

Jupiter Just Just Just Jam

Saturn Served Snooze Swallow Sandwich

Uranus Us Under Us Under

Neptune Nachos / Noodles Newspapers Now Neptune

Contributed by: Ahmet Kilinc Rebecca Draper Joel Schwartz Annie and

Becky

Interactive Links

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/solar_system.htm

http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/science/contents3physical.htm