Solar System and Planetary Science Quiz

What dictates the fate of the planets in our solar system?

• The distance from the Sun

• The presence of water

• The size of the planets

• The Sun

Which planet has retained its water and habitability?

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Earth

What has enabled complex life to evolve on Earth?

• Stable atmosphere

• Proximity to the Sun

• Presence of mountains

• Large size

What will happen to Earth in about a billion years?

• It will move out of the solar system

• It will become a gas giant

• It will be engulfed by the Sun

• It will become like Venus and Mars

What is the primary reason Uranus appears featureless?

• Extreme cold temperatures

• No moons

• Lack of atmosphere

• No magnetic field

What unique feature does Uranus have?

• It has the most moons

• It spins on its side

• It has the hottest temperatures

• It has no rings

What powers the weather on Saturn?

• Magnetic field

• Surface heating

• Internal heat source

• Sunlight

What did the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter discover in the Eredania Basin?

• Sand dunes

• Ancient sea deposits

• Ice caps

• Volcanoes

What caused Mars to lose its magnetic field?

• Proximity to the Sun

• Lack of atmosphere

• Cooling of its core

• Collision with another planet

What is the Roche limit?

• The limit of a planet's atmosphere

• The boundary of a planet's magnetic field

• The distance from the Sun where water can exist

• The distance at which a moon can orbit without being pulled apart