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Solar System: Practice Questions with Answers

Curriculum: Solar System PracticeGrades: 4–6Questions: 20Mode: Practice

Planets, moons, comets, and stars: a friendly tour of our solar system.

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1. Which planet is closest to the Sun?

  1. Venus
  2. Earth
  3. Mercury
  4. Mars
Show the answer
Answer: C. Mercury
Mercury orbits nearest the Sun.

2. Which planet is known as the Red Planet?

  1. Mars
  2. Saturn
  3. Jupiter
  4. Venus
Show the answer
Answer: A. Mars
Iron oxide dust makes Mars look red.

3. Which is the largest planet?

  1. Earth
  2. Neptune
  3. Saturn
  4. Jupiter
Show the answer
Answer: D. Jupiter
Jupiter could hold over 1,300 Earths.

4. Which planet has the famous rings?

  1. Saturn
  2. Mars
  3. Jupiter
  4. Uranus
Show the answer
Answer: A. Saturn
Saturn's rings are ice and rock.

5. What do we call a 'shooting star'?

  1. A comet
  2. A meteor
  3. A planet
  4. A galaxy
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Answer: B. A meteor
A meteor is space rock burning up in our air.

6. What holds the planets in orbit?

  1. Gravity
  2. Magnetism
  3. Light
  4. Wind
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Answer: A. Gravity
The Sun's gravity keeps planets in orbit.

7. How many planets are in our solar system?

  1. 8
  2. 7
  3. 9
  4. 10
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Answer: A. 8
Since 2006, Pluto is a dwarf planet, leaving 8.

8. Which planet do we live on?

  1. Mercury
  2. Mars
  3. Venus
  4. Earth
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Answer: D. Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun.

9. What is the Sun?

  1. A moon
  2. A comet
  3. A planet
  4. A star
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Answer: D. A star
The Sun is our nearest star.

10. What orbits the Earth?

  1. The Sun
  2. The Moon
  3. Venus
  4. Mars
Show the answer
Answer: B. The Moon
The Moon is Earth's natural satellite.

11. Which planet is hottest?

  1. Venus
  2. Jupiter
  3. Mercury
  4. Mars
Show the answer
Answer: A. Venus
Venus's thick clouds trap heat.

12. Which planet spins on its side?

  1. Mars
  2. Neptune
  3. Saturn
  4. Uranus
Show the answer
Answer: D. Uranus
Uranus's axis is tilted about 98 degrees.

13. What is the asteroid belt between?

  1. Venus and Earth
  2. Mars and Jupiter
  3. Jupiter and Saturn
  4. Earth and Mars
Show the answer
Answer: B. Mars and Jupiter
Most asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter.

14. How long does Earth take to orbit the Sun?

  1. About 30 days
  2. About 24 hours
  3. About 100 days
  4. About 365 days
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Answer: D. About 365 days
One orbit is one year.

15. What causes day and night?

  1. The Sun moving
  2. The Moon
  3. Clouds
  4. Earth spinning
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Answer: D. Earth spinning
Earth rotates once about every 24 hours.

16. Which planet is farthest from the Sun?

  1. Neptune
  2. Uranus
  3. Saturn
  4. Pluto
Show the answer
Answer: A. Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet.

17. What is a comet mostly made of?

  1. Lava
  2. Gas only
  3. Iron
  4. Ice and dust
Show the answer
Answer: D. Ice and dust
Comets are dirty snowballs that grow tails near the Sun.

18. What galaxy do we live in?

  1. The Milky Way
  2. Whirlpool
  3. Andromeda
  4. Sombrero
Show the answer
Answer: A. The Milky Way
Our solar system is in the Milky Way.

19. Which planet has the Great Red Spot?

  1. Saturn
  2. Mars
  3. Jupiter
  4. Neptune
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Answer: C. Jupiter
The Great Red Spot is a giant storm on Jupiter.

20. What tool do we use to see far planets?

  1. A stethoscope
  2. A periscope
  3. A telescope
  4. A microscope
Show the answer
Answer: C. A telescope
Telescopes gather light from far away.
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