Practice identifying the main parts of the solar system and explaining how planets and other objects move in space.
Read each problem carefully. Answer in complete sentences and show your thinking when needed.
Planets, the Sun, and objects in space
Earth Science - Grade 4-5
- 1
What is the center of our solar system, and why is it important?
- 2
Name the eight planets in order from the Sun.
- 3
Which planet is known as the Red Planet, and what gives it that color?
- 4
Explain the difference between a planet and a star.
- 5
What is an orbit?
- 6
Why does Earth have day and night?
- 7
Which planet is the largest in the solar system?
- 8
Describe one main feature of Saturn.
- 9
What are asteroids, and where are many of them found?
- 10
What is the Moon, and how is it different from a planet?
- 11
Why is Earth able to support life?
- 12
What is a comet made of, and what can happen when it gets close to the Sun?
- 13
Which planet do we live on, and where is it located in order from the Sun?
- 14
Why do the outer planets take longer to go around the Sun than the inner planets?
- 15
Compare an inner planet and an outer planet. Give one way they are different.