When a smaller space object is "captured" by a planet, and it then orbits the planet, it becomes the planet's ____
moon.
What force pulled most of the matter to the center of the newly forming solar system?
gravity
When a meteor travels through the earth's atmosphere and reaches the earth's surface, it's called...
a meteorite
Which planet is the largest?
Jupiter
Between which two planets is the Asteroid Belt?
Mars and Jupiter
Name the four outer planets, from the sun outward:
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
What do the four outer planets have in common?
They are all gaseous.
What is unusual about a comet's orbit around the sun?
It's extremely long and can take over 200 years (and it's elliptical)
Is it possible for a dwarf planet to have its own moon?
yes
True or False: Pluto is larger than the earth's moon.
False, it's smaller than our moon.
Why does a comet have a tail?
The frozen surface vaporizes into a gas.
Why is the Kuiper Belt so cold?
It's so far away from the sun.
Which planet is the hottest?
Venus
Which model of the universe placed the sun in the middle of the solar system?
Heliocentric Model
Is it possible for a planet to have more than one moon?
yes!
Why is Venus the hottest?
the thick atmosphere traps the heat like a blanket.
Which planet is the smallest?
Mercury
Is it true that dwarf planets share their orbital path with other celestial objects?
yes
What do the four inner planets all have in common?
They all have rocky, solid surfaces.
What celestial body was at the center of the heliocentric model of the solar system?
the sun
Which model of the solar system placed the earth in the middle, and incorrectly stated that earth does not rotate?
Geocentric
True or False: Ancient astronomers thought the earth did not rotate.
TRUE
Which famous astronomer discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter?
Galileo Galilee
WHICH ONE? Larger objects with MORE MASS have...MORE or LESS gravity?
MORE!
What celestial body is formed from a swirling cloud of dust and gas?
a star
What space object is made of rock and ice and originates in the Kuiper Belt?
Comet
What is a small, irregularly-shaped space object that is usually found between Mars and Jupiter?
Asteroid
What celestial body was at the center of the geocentric model of the solar system?
the earth
True or False: Pluto is the largest Dwarf planet.
False...(Eris is slightly larger)
What is the collection of asteriods located between Mars and Jupiter called?
Asteroid Belt
Why are the four outer planets called "The Gas Giants?"
They are made primarily of gas.
This space object is known as a "dirty snowball."
comet
Why do the sun and the moon appear to be the same size?
The moon is so much closer to earth than the sun
What are the TWO FORCES that keep a planet orbiting a star?
Gravity and Inertia
What is the space object, made of rock or ice & rock, that orbits a planet?
a moon
Name the four inner planets, from the sun outward:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
What is the force that pulls bodies of mass towards each other?
gravity
Why is it so difficult to have a scale model of the solar system?
It's too big! There is so much empty space between the planets.
Which can be bigger, an asteroid or a meteor?
Asteroid
These are known as "shooting stars" as they streak across the sky in our atmosphere.
Meteors
Which planet may have frozen water beneath its polar surface, and might support life?
Mars
Why do we see meteors in the night sky?
We see them burning up in our atmosphere.
What is evidence on the surface of a planet that it has been hit by meteors?
craters
Why are planets round (spherical)?
The gravity pulls the mass towards the center of the mass
True or False: The moon is thought to be much younger than the earth.
False...they are about the same age.
Which can be bigger, an asteroid or a meteor?
Asteroid