Astronomy: Planets of the Solar System
Learning about the eight planets and their place in space
Astronomy: Planets of the Solar System
Learning about the eight planets and their place in space
Astronomy - Grade 4-5
- 1
List the eight planets in order from closest to the Sun to farthest from the Sun.
A common memory sentence is: My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Noodles.
The planets in order from the Sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. - 2
Which planet is closest to the Sun, and what is one reason it has extreme temperatures?
Mercury is closest to the Sun. It has extreme temperatures because it is very close to the Sun and has almost no atmosphere to hold heat evenly. - 3
Earth is the only planet known to support life. Name two features that help make Earth a good place for life.
Think about what plants, animals, and people need to live.
Earth is a good place for life because it has liquid water and an atmosphere with gases living things need. It also has temperatures that allow many organisms to survive. - 4
Which planet is known as the Red Planet, and what gives it its reddish color?
Mars is known as the Red Planet. Its reddish color comes from iron-rich dust and rocks on its surface. - 5
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. Is Jupiter a rocky planet or a gas giant? Explain your answer.
The four planets farthest from the Sun are not small rocky worlds like the inner planets.
Jupiter is a gas giant. It is made mostly of gases such as hydrogen and helium, and it does not have a solid rocky surface like Earth. - 6
Saturn is famous for its rings. What are Saturn's rings mostly made of?
Saturn's rings are mostly made of pieces of ice, rock, and dust that orbit the planet. - 7
Compare the inner planets and the outer planets. Name one way they are different.
Inner planets are closer to the Sun, and outer planets are farther away.
The inner planets are smaller and rocky, while the outer planets are much larger and made mostly of gas or ice. The inner planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, and the outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. - 8
Which planet is sometimes called Earth's twin because it is similar in size to Earth, even though it is much hotter?
Venus is sometimes called Earth's twin because it is similar in size to Earth. However, Venus is much hotter because it has a thick atmosphere that traps heat. - 9
Uranus has a very unusual tilt. How does Uranus seem to rotate compared with most other planets?
Imagine a spinning top that has tipped far over to one side.
Uranus seems to rotate on its side compared with most other planets. Its axis is tilted so much that it looks like the planet is rolling around the Sun. - 10
Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun. Why is Neptune very cold?
Neptune is very cold because it is extremely far from the Sun. It receives much less sunlight and heat than planets closer to the Sun. - 11
A student says, 'The bigger a planet is, the closer it must be to the Sun.' Use Jupiter or Neptune to explain why this idea is not correct.
Planet size and distance from the Sun are two different features.
This idea is not correct because Jupiter is the largest planet, but it is not closest to the Sun. Neptune is also a large outer planet, but it is the farthest planet from the Sun. - 12
Sort these planets into two groups: Mercury, Earth, Jupiter, Saturn. Label the groups as rocky planets and gas giants.
Mercury and Earth are rocky planets. Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants.