NAME:

SNC 1D

Space: The Solar System

PART A: MULTIPLE CHOICE: Place the correct answer in the space provided on the bottom of the page

1. What is special about the star, Polaris?

a) Its brightness
b) Its location

d) We cant see it

c) Both A&B

2. The Sun keeps the planets in their orbits by a force of

a) electricity
b) magnetism
c) gravity

d) light

3. Which astronomical event determines the length of the year?

a.
b.
c.
d.

the time it takes the Moon to revolve around Earth

the time it takes Earth to revolve around the Sun
the time it takes Earth to rotate on its axis
the time it takes the Sun to go across the sky.

4. Which phenomenon is caused by the rotation of the Moon around Earth?

a) the tides
b) the year
c) the day

d) the month

5. Which planet is closest to Earth in size and composition?

a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Mars

d) Neptune

6. Which of these planets travels faster around the Sun than Earth?
a) Venus
b) Mars
c) Jupiter

d) Pluto

7. How far does light travel in four years?

a) 4.00 x 108 km
b) 4 A.U.

d) 4 light years

c) 4 arcseconds

8. How can you tell the difference between a star and a planet?
a) By comparing their brightness
b) By observing their locations in the sky
c) By observing the paths they take over several nights
d) By observing the paths they take that night
1 ______

2 ______

3 ______

4 ______

5 ______

6 ______

7 ______

8 ______

PART B: MATCHING

Match the definition from the left to the terms on the right
1. The Sun & all the objects that travel around it.

______

2. Large spherical piece of matter that revolves

around a planet.

______

3. Large collection of matter that emits huge

amounts of energy.

______

4. 88 groups of stars that forms shapes or patterns.

______

5. Giant rocks between Mars & Jupiter

______

A) star
B) nebula
C) solar flare
D) planet
E) constellation
F) asteroid
G) meteoroid
H) asterism
I) Milky Way
J) solar system
K) moon

LEVEL

NAME:

SNC 1D

Space: The Solar System

PART C: Full Answers

1. Name the following patterns in the night sky & identify whether it is an asterism or constellation.

2.

3.

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State 0.000 000 309 as scientific notation and round to two significant digits.

Calculate the distance between the Solar system and the Alpha Centauri system in km if the Solar system is 4.3 lightyears away from the Alpha Centauri solar system. (1 light year = 9.5 X 1012 km)

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4.

5.

8.

Calculate the distance between the Solar system and the Alpha Centauri system in astronomical units if the Solar
system is 4.3 light-years away from the Alpha Centauri solar system. (1 astronomical unit = 1.5 X 108 km)

LEVEL

LEVEL

Compare and contrast the terms constellation and asterism in a Venn diagram.

If the Sun were the size of a basketball, calculate Earths distance from Sun in the basketball model. Be sure to use the
correct units. use scrap paper if necessary
Object Distance from Sun

Basketball Model

Sun

0m

Mercury 58 000 000 km

Earth 149 600 000 km

145 m

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