Solar System Quiz Review

A group of fourth graders was studying a timeline of technological advances in space research. Which of the following questions could the students research to further understand the similarities and differences between the data collected from the technology?

• How was technology improved its quality of photos over time?

• Who were the scientists who invented the technology?

• When was the first space discovery documented?

Many people know that scientists have discovered a famous red spot on Jupiter, and that this spot is actually a giant storm that moves around the planet. This storm can be seen by telescopes from Earth and also by probes that have flown past Jupiter. What question could you ask that would help you determine which of those two tools were used to discover Jupiter's red storm for the first time?

• How many miles from Jupiter is Earth?

• Has a human ever landed on Jupiter?

• Was the storm first seen from Earth or from an image sent from space?

Use the chart to answer the question. Would you predict that Rigel or Betelgeuse would appear brighter from Earth?

• Rigel because it is larger and closer to Earth.

• Betelgeuse because it is larger and closer to Earth.

• Rigel because blue supergiants appear brighter than red supergiants.

During recess, Tony and Josephine were talking about the sun and stars. Tony told Josephine that the sun is really a star. Josephine asked why it was so big and bright.

If the sun is a star, why is it so big and bright?

• Since the sun is the closest star to the earth, it appears bigger and brighter than the other stars.

• The sun is brighter than all the other stars in the sky, so it looks bigger from the earth even though it is really farther away than most stars.

• The sun is a star, but it is made up of gasses that are much different from the other stars and this makes it appear bigger and brighter than the other stars.

Which of the following questions can be asked to understand how technology has affected observations made about space over time?

• How are the sizes of technology different from many years ago compared to today's technology?

• How does the information collected today compare to information collected many years ago?

• When were other galaxies discovered?

The United States has landed a device on Mars. Using the device, which question can now be answered that could not be answered before?

• What is the shape and color of Mars?

• How many moons does Mars have?

• What is the soil like on Mars?

Examine the two images. Which of the following explanations would BEST describe the brightness of these stars if someone from Earth was looking at them?

• Image A would appear brighter because it is closer to the Earth than image B.

• Image B would appear brighter because it is closer to the Earth than image A.

• Image A would appear brighter because it is a sun.

Kate and Sam are outside on a perfectly clear night, looking up at the stars. They are discussing what they learned about stars in science class today. Kate says she is still confused as to why some stars are brighter than others. She asks Sam if he could explain. Which argument is the best to explain why some stars appear to be larger and brighter than others.

• If one star is closer to the Earth than another, then it will appear larger and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the Earth, the larger star will appear brighter.

• When a person on earth looks at the stars in the night sky, if one star is further away from the Earth than another, then it will appear larger and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the Earth, the larger star will appear brighter.

• When a person on earth looks at the stars in the night sky, if one star is further away from the earth than another, then it will appear smaller and brighter. If two stars are the same distance from the earth, the smaller star will appear brighter.