Solar System Quiz

The Olympus Mons Shield Volcano is the tallest mountain in the solar system and is located on which planet?

• Mercury

• Venus

• Mars

• Jupiter

Which planet appears red because the dust on the surface contains iron oxide? It is the most studied planet, other than Earth, has polar ice caps, and contains evidence that liquid water once existed on its surface. This planet has two satellites named Phobos and Deimos.

• Mercury

• Venus

• Mars

• Jupiter

Which is the largest planet and rotates faster than any other planet? It has a Great Red Spot, which is a giant cyclone about the size of two Earths. Of its 79 satellites (and counting), the most famous are the four large moons lo, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, that were discovered by Galileo in 1610. Its moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system.

• Saturn

• Jupiter

• Uranus

• Neptune

Which is the hottest planet and the third brightest object in the Earth's sky after the sun and moon? It is sometimes referred to as the sister planet to Earth, because their size and mass are so similar. The surface of this planet is hidden by layers of clouds formed from sulphuric acid. The dense atmosphere is about 96.5% carbon dioxide which traps heat and causes an intense greenhouse effect. The surface is dominated by active shield volcanoes.

• Venus

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Saturn

Every 84 years, which planet makes a complete orbit around the sun? This Jovian planet is unique because it spins sideways at a 99-degree tilt. It has faint rings and its clouds are made up of hydrogen sulphide, the same gas that gives rotten eggs their unpleasant smell.

• Uranus

• Neptune

• Saturn

• Jupiter

Which planet appears a pale yellow color because its upper atmosphere contains ammonia crystals? It is the least dense planet and could float on water. Located about 9.5 times farther from the sun than the Earth, the light from the sun takes over an hour to reach the surface of this planet. Surrounding this planet are large rings composed of billions of small chunks of ice and rock.

• Neptune

• Saturn

• Uranus

• Jupiter

A year on which planet is only 88 days, however a day on the planet lasts 176 Earth days. It has no moons or rings because of its low gravity and lack of atmosphere. Drastic and frequent temperature changes occur on this planet. It is the smallest planet with a cratered surface and an enormous iron core.

• Mercury

• Venus

• Mars

• Jupiter

Dark, cold, and whipped by supersonic winds, which icy gas giant is orbited by Triton and 13 other known satellites? Huge spinning storms called Great Dark Spots periodically appear on this planet. This planet is located the farthest from the sun and is the coldest planet.

• Uranus

• Neptune

• Saturn

• Jupiter

Which is the densest planet and the only planet with liquid water on its surface? This planet has one moon and orbits the sun every 365 days. Its atmosphere is made up of approximately 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. It is tectonically active and the interior is composed of a crust, mantle, and core.

• Mercury

• Venus

• Earth

• Mars