Solar System Facts & Fun Space is such a fascinating place. God put the Earth in just the right place so everything was just right for life as we know it. Have you ever wondered about the other planets He put in our solar system? Let s learn a little bit about them. Then you can do some research on your own to find out more about the planets or even other solar systems and galaxies in our universe. Our solar system is made up of our sun, eight planets (since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet), and all the other objects like moons, asteroids, and other dwarf planets, etc., that circle our sun. Do you know the names of the eight planets in our solar system? Unscramble the names of the planets below to find out what they are. 1. taher 2. rsuuna 3. amsr 4. cyerrmu 5. ruijpte 6. uepentn 7. uevsn 8. aunstr Now, rewrite the names of the planets on the lines in the order of their distance from the sun, starting with the one closest to the sun first. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Solar System Trivia Each planet in our solar system has one or more moons that circle it. Can you match the name of the moons below to the planet that they circle? 1. Neptune a. Phobos 2. Earth b. Triton 3. Saturn c. Thebe 4. Uranus d. Prometheus 5. Mars e. Moon 6. Jupiter f. Oberon See if you can name the planet that answers the following trivia questions: 1. This planet is perfect for supporting life as we know it. 2. This planet is the smallest planet in our solar system. 3. This planet is a gas giant and does not have a solid surface, but it does have a spectacular ring system. 4. This planet, the largest in our solar system, is a gas giant and does not have a solid surface. 5. This planet is almost the same size as Earth but is closer to the sun. 6. This planet is an ice giant and is more than 30 times as far from the sun as the Earth is. 7. This planet is known as The Red Planet. 8. This planet is an ice giant and looks blue because of the methane in its atmosphere.
Space Trivia Fill in the blanks with words from the word bank at the end of this section. 1. Our sun and the planets surrounding it are a part of the galaxy. 2. Our galaxy is so big that even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 to go from one end of it to the other. 3. The stars in our galaxy are arranged in a pattern. 4. Scientists think there are 100,000,000,000 in the universe. 5. The nearest galaxy to our own is called. 6. A is an area of space where the gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. 7. The first manned spaceflight to land on the moon was. 8. There has been a manned mission to another planet. 9. The command module for the first manned flight to land on the moon was named after Columbiad, which was the name of the cannon that launched the ship in the novel From the Earth to the Moon, written by. Word Bank: galaxies never Andromeda Columbia years black hole pinwheel Milky Way Jules Verne Apollo 11
Planet Name Scramble: Answer Key 1. taher Earth 2. rsuuna Uranus 3. amsr Mars 4. cyerrmu Mercury 5. ruijpte Jupiter 6. uepentn Neptune 7. uevsn Venus 8. aunstr Saturn Who is Closest to the Sun: 1. Mercury 2. Venus 3. Earth 4. Mars 5. Jupiter 6. Saturn 7. Uranus 8. Neptune The Planets and Their Moons: b 1. Neptune a. Phobos e 2. Earth b. Triton d 3. Saturn c. Thebe f 4. Uranus d. Prometheus a 5. Mars e. Moon c 6. Jupiter f. Oberon Planet Trivia: 1. This planet is perfect for supporting life as we know it. Earth 2. This planet is the smallest planet in our solar system. Mercury 3. This planet is a gas giant and does not have a solid surface, but it does have a spectacular ring system. Saturn 4. This planet, the largest in our solar system, is a gas giant and does not have a solid surface. Jupiter 5. This planet is almost the same size as Earth but is closer to the sun. Venus 6. This planet is an ice giant and is more than 30 times as far from the sun as the Earth is. Neptune 7. This planet is known as The Red Planet. Mars 8. This planet is an ice giant and looks blue because of the methane in its atmosphere. Uranus
Answer Key (cont.) 1. Our sun and the planets surrounding it are a part of the Milky Way galaxy. 2. Our galaxy is so big that even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to go from one end of it to the other. 3. The stars in our galaxy are arranged in a pinwheel pattern. 4. Scientists think there are 100,000,000,000 galaxies in the universe. 5. The nearest galaxy to our own is called Andromeda. 6. A black hole is an area of space where the gravity is so strong that nothing can escape, not even light. 7. The first manned spaceflight to land on the moon was Apollo 11. 8. There has never been a manned mission to another planet. 9. The command module for the first manned flight to land on the moon was named Columbia after Columbiad, which was the name of the cannon that launched the ship in the novel From the Earth to the Moon, written by Jules Verne.