Name _____________________________________________________________
When you have completed this workbook, you
should know and understand the following:
Standard
Description
SciBer
Text
Understand and correctly use unit vocabulary.
III.1.a
List the planets in order.
III.1.b.
Using a table, identify physical properties of the
components of the Solar System (i.e., planets, dwarf
planets. comets, asteroids, meteors)
Passed
Page |1
Can You Planet?
(From Universe At Your Fingertips, Astronomical Society of the Pacific)
Sort out the planets. Next to each planet’s name, put “yes” if the
statement is true (Jupiter is larger than Earth – Yes) or “no” if it is not
true (Earth has rings – No). Use this information to place the planets on
the Venn Diagram! (Use the Planetary Fact Sheet on page 26.)
Planetary Facts Helping Table
Larger than Earth
Earth
Jupiter
Mars
Mercury
Neptune
Saturn
Uranus
Venus
Has Ring(s)
Has Moon(s)
Page |2
Use the information from the chart to place the planets in the correct
circle or intersection of circles.
Has moon(s)
Has rings
& moons
Has rings
Page |3
Use the information from the chart to place the planets in the correct
circle or intersection of circles!
Larger than Earth
Has moon(s) & larger than Earth
Has rings & larger than Earth
Has moon(s), rings & larger than Earth
Has moon(s)
Has moon(s) & rings
Has rings
Page |4
Use the Venn Diagram, chart, and fact sheet to answer the following questions.
1. Which planets are larger than Earth? ___________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. Which two sets of planets are closest in size? ___________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. What percent of the planets are smaller than Earth? _________% (# of smaller
planets divided by eight)
4. Which planets have moons? _________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
5. Which planet has the most moons? ___________________________________
6. What is the total number of known moons in our Solar System? ______________
7. What is the average number of moons per planet?
___________________________
(total number of moons divided by 8)
8. Which planets fit into all three categories?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. Which planets have days that are longer than 24 hours?
__________________________________________________________________
Page |5
Kids Discover Planets Worksheet
Before Reading
What do you know about the planets in the solar system? In Before Reading, write true
if you think the statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true.
Then read KIDS DISCOVER Planets. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write
the correct answer and its page number.
Before
After
Page
Reading
Reading
Number
1. Earth is one of the gaseous planets.
2. The Sun formed about a million years ago from a
collapsing cloud of gas.
3. Mercury is the planet closest to the Sun.
4. The hottest planet in the solar system is
Jupiter.
5. Much of Earth looks blue from space because
more than 70 percent of its surface is covered in
water.
6. A day on Mars is less than an hour longer than a
day on Earth.
7. Planets are often formed after a star is formed.
8. Jupiter has only four moons.
9. Saturn’s rings are made of pieces of ice or rocks
coated in ice.
10. Triton, Neptune’s largest moon, is one of the
coldest places in the solar system.
Page |6
It’s in the Reading
After reading KIDS DISCOVER Planets, choose the best answer for each question.
Fill in the circle.
Find your answer on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question.
1. Which of these is not one of the criteria the group of astronomers used to identify
an object in space as a planet?
a. Its gravity squishes it into a round ball.
b. It must orbit the Sun.
c. It must have at least one moon, or satellite.
d. It must have cleared all other objects in its orbital path.
2. What are the three criteria that a space object must meet to be considered a
planet?
a.
b.
c.
3. Which planets are rocky like Earth? Which are not?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. How are Ceres and Pluto alike?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Page |7
5. What causes the surface of Mercury to fold like the skin of a dry apple?
a. The heat of the Sun.
b. The lack of water.
c. The slight shrinking of the planet as its iron core cools.
d. The freezing temperatures in the shadowed regions at the poles.
6. What is the largest known surface feature of Mercury?
__________________________________________________________________
7. How was the Caloris Basin on Mercury formed?
a. By a volcano.
b. By a comet.
c. By a meteorite.
d. By an asteroid.
8. What is a likely reason for Venus being hotter than Mercury?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9. How is Mars like Earth?
a. It has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere.
b. It is cold, dry, and barren.
c. Its winter temperatures may be 200 degrees below freezing.
d. It has seasons.
10. How is Earth “invading” Mars?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
12. Which of Jupiter’s moons may have life in its buried ocean?
a. Io
b. Europa
c. Ganymede
d. Callisto
Page |8
13. What makes up the white clouds of Jupiter?
a. Organic chemicals.
b. Ammonia ice crystals.
c. Faint rings of dust.
d. Gases sinking into the atmosphere.
14. What is the Great Red Spot? Why is it red?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
15. Why are Saturn’s cloud bands less prominent than Jupiter’s cloud bands?
a. They are made up of ice.
b. Giant storms erupt in the atmosphere.
c. They are too thin to be seen.
d. The top of Saturn’s atmosphere is hazier
16. What makes up Saturn’s thousands of rings?
__________________________________________________________________
17. For what was Saturn named?
__________________________________________________________________
18. What are the fractures of Saturn’s moon Enceladus?
__________________________________________________________________
19. How is Pluto now like Ceres?
a. It is now classified as a dwarf planet.
b. It has three moons.
c. It is 3.5 billion miles from the Sun.
d. It was once classified as a planet.
Page |9
20. Why do Neptune and Uranus appear blue-green in color?
a. They have very hazy atmospheres.
b. They are giant balls of water.
c. They have thick atmospheres of hydrogen.
d. Methane is in the atmosphere.
21. How far are Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto from the Sun?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
22. What is 2003 UB 313? What is its nickname? How far from the Sun is it?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
23. Name the planets in order by their DISTANCE from the Sun.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
24. Name the planets in order from the SMALLEST to the LARGEST.
a.
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b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Classifying the Solar System
Introduction
Scientists classify planets in many different ways. Today you work for NASA and will
use information you gather from the Solar System Data Sheet to make decisions on how
you will classify the planets.
The Task
1. Classify each of the eight planets using these criteria:
 Its orbit in relation to Earth
 Inferior (between Earth & Sun)
 Superior (farther away from the Sun than the Earth).
 The make-up of its surface
 Rocky (Terrestrial)
 Gas (Jovian)
 Its size or diameter
 Giant (larger than Earth)
 Small (smaller than Earth).
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 Its ability to be seen by our eyes
 Classical (planet that can be seen without a telescope – Mercury, Venus,
Mars, Jupiter, Saturn)
 Modern (planets than cannot be seen without a telescope)
Classifying the Solar System
1. The following planets are considered…
a. Inferior Planets
1.
2.
b. Superior Planets
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2. The following planets are…
a. Rocky (Terrestrial) Planets
1.
2.
3.
4.
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b. Gas (Jovian) Planets
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. The following planets are…
a. Giant Planets (larger than Earth)
1.
2.
3.
4.
b. Small Planets (smaller than Earth)
1.
2.
3.
4. The following planets are…
a. Classical Planets (planet that can be seen without a telescope)
1.
2.
3.
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4.
5.
b. Modern Planets (planets than cannot be seen without a telescope)
1.
2.
5. Dwarf Planets
1.
2.
3.
4,
5.
6. Describe the following and identify either where they are found.
a. Comet ______________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
b. Asteroid ____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
c. Meteor _____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
P a g e | 14
History of Saturn Discovery
(modified from Cassini Educators Guide)
Procedure
1. Look at the group of the History of Discovery Cards. Make sure you understand the
information on the cards.
2. Complete the timeline based on the information from the cards.
After You Have the Time Line - Final Choices for This
Assignment
Select and answer one (1) of the following. (Your response must be complete, neatly
written, and fully cover the topic. A sentence or two will not adequately answer the
question):
 Compose a letter to Galileo explaining how scientific understanding of Saturn has
changed since the time of his observations. Address questions like: What news
would be most exciting to share with Galileo? What advances have been made in
technology? What additional discoveries were made due to these advances? What
do we hope to learn by the year 2010, after the Cassini spacecraft has toured the
Saturn system?
 Explain the different categories of technologies that have been used to explore
Saturn.
 Explain why we use spacecraft to explore Saturn. What is the advantage of
having Cassini orbit Saturn vs. having Pioneer 11 and the Voyagers fly-by the
Saturn?
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Final Part of the Assignment
After you have selected your topic, write your information here.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
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Ceres and Pluto: Dwarf Planets as a New Way of
Thinking about an Old Solar System
1. In your own words, describe a planet.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Definition of a Planet
The following is the IAU definition of a planet, dwarf planet as well as a definition of
asteroid.
A DWARF PLANET is a celestial body that…
 is in orbit around the Sun.
 has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it
assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (In English, this means
the dwarf planet is mostly round!)
 has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
 is not a satellite (revolving around a planet).
A PLANET is a celestial body that…
 is in orbit around the Sun,
 has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it
assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape. (In English, this means
the dwarf planet is mostly round!)
 has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
 is not a satellite. (revolving around a planet).
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An ASTEROID (or minor planet)…
 orbits the Sun inside the orbit of Jupiter.
 does not have sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces
so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium shape (it is not round).
 has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
 is not a satellite.
2. Using the attached definitions, write down an explanation of the planet, dwarf planet.
Definition of a Dwarf Planet
1.
2.
3.
4.
Definition of a Planet
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Definition of an Asteroid or Minor Planet
1.
2.
3.
4.
The following is an image of Ceres (Image 1), an example of a dwarf planet, and the
location of Ceres within the solar system (Image 2). Note in the image at right that the
inner planets and Jupiter have cleared most of the neighboring bodies from their orbits
while Ceres and Vesta have not. Note also that Ceres is nearly round, while Vesta (Image
3) is more irregular in shape.
P a g e | 19
3. Restate the explanation of the term Dwarf Planet in your own words.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. Use the following images and information to classify the bodies as a planet, dwarf
planet, or asteroid.
Body has cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
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Body has not cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
Body has not cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
P a g e | 21
Body has cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
P a g e | 22
Body has not cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
Body has cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
P a g e | 23
Body has not cleared its neighborhood.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
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5. Compare and contrast the definitions of a planet, dwarf planet, and asteroid by
completing the Venn diagram.
Planet
Dwarf Planet
Planet/ Dwarf Planet
Asteroid/Planet/Dwarf Planet
Planet/Asteroid
Asteroid/Dwarf Planet
Asteroid
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Planet Research Project
Select a planet that interests you. After you have selected you planet, write a two-page
research paper about that planet. Include the following information:
 Basic planet facts (diameter, distance from Sun, order from Sun, ranking,
atmosphere, etc.)
 Describe the surface of the planet.
 Can a human live on the planet?
 Identify space probes that have visited the planet.
 At least five interesting facts about the planet.
Include a drawing of your planet as a part of the report (use colored pencils). This is in
addition to your two-page research paper.
P a g e | 26
Planetary Fact Sheet
Diameter
Length of
Day
Moons
Rings
Earth
12,800 km
23 hrs 56 min
1
No
Jupiter
143,000km
9 hrs 55 min
63
Yes
Mars
6,800 km
24 hrs 7 min
2
No
Mercury
4,900 km
59 days
0
No
Neptune
49,500 km
16 hrs 7 min
13
Yes
Saturn
120,600 km
10 hrs 39 min
62
Yes
Uranus
51,100 km
17 hrs 14 min
27
Yes
Venus
12,100 km
243 days
0
No
Planetary Fact Sheet
Diameter
Length of
Day
Moons
Rings
Earth
12,800 km
23 hrs 56 min
1
No
Jupiter
143,000km
9 hrs 55 min
63
Yes
Mars
6,800 km
24 hrs 7 min
2
No
Mercury
4,900 km
59 days
0
No
Neptune
49,500 km
16 hrs 7 min
13
Yes
Saturn
120,600 km
10 hrs 39 min
62
Yes
Uranus
51,100 km
17 hrs 14 min
27
Yes
Venus
12,100 km
243 days
0
No