Froggy Jumps Formation of the Solar System QuizOnline version Test your knowledge of solar system terms and definitions! by Noel Sayco 1 What is an atmosphere? a A type of planet b The layers of gases surrounding a planet c A star's surface 2 What shape do the orbits of planets take? a Circles b Spirals c Ellipses 3 What defines a gas giant? a A large planet composed mainly of gas b A dwarf planet c A rocky planet 4 What is gravity? a A planet's orbit b The force of attraction between all objects. c A type of energy 5 Which planets are considered inner planets? a Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune b Ceres, Pluto, Eris c Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars 6 What is an orbit? a A type of star b The surface of a planet c The path of one body around another body 7 What are outer planets? a Dwarf planets b The four closest planets c The four planets farthest from the Sun 8 How many known planets are in our solar system? a Ten b Six c Eight 9 What is a rocky planet also called? a Dwarf planet b Gas giant c Terrestrial planet 10 What does a year represent in astronomy? a The time it takes to rotate b The distance to the star c The time it takes a planet to orbit its star 11 What does the Solar Nebula Hypothesis explain? a The lifecycle of stars b The structure of galaxies c The formation of the solar system 12 What is the role of a nebula in star formation? a It destroys stars b It serves as the birthplace of stars c It orbits planets 13 What is a protoplanetary disk made of? a Solid rock b Gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star c Liquid water 14 What happens during the accretion process? a Particles gradually form larger bodies b Particles disappear c Particles explode 15 What can planetesimals combine to form? a Galaxies b Stars c Larger planetary bodies