The Planets
The Inner Planets (the first 4 planets closet to the sun)
1. Mercury – 2nd smallest, rock, hot
2. Venus – same size as Earth, rock, hottest of all
3. Earth – 70% water, atmosphere supports life
4. Mars – iron in soil makes it red, ice at poles
The Outer Planets (the last 4 planets farthest from the sun)
5. Jupiter – largest, made of gas, “great red spot” is a
storm in the atmosphere
6. Saturn – another gas giant, has many rings which are
made of rocks
7. Uranus – made of gas, spins on its side, 27 moons
8. Neptune – looks blue, 2.79 billion years from sun
Dwarf Planet
9. Pluto – only 1,491 miles across, its orbit crosses
Neptune’s orbit (20 out of every 250 years)
The Planets Quiz
Name:__________________________
Date:______________________
Use a planet from the box to answer each riddle. You may use some planets
more than once.
Earth
Jupiter
Mars
Mercury
Neptune
Saturn
Uranus
Venus
Pluto
1.) Which planet has many rings made of rocks? ___________________________
2.) Which planet crosses Neptune’s orbit?__________________________________
3.) Which planet is 70% water?_____________________________________________
4.) Which planet has a storm called the “great red spot?”___________________
5.) Which planet appears blue?____________________________________________
6.) Which planet has a lot of iron in its soil?__________________________________
7.) Which planet is the second smallest?___________________________________
8.) Which planet spins on its side?__________________________________________
9.) Which planet is the hottest of all?_______________________________________
10.) Which planet, besides Earth, has ice at its poles?_______________________
11.) Which gas giant is the largest planet of all?_____________________________
12.) Which planet has an atmosphere that supports life?_____________________
Label the planets.
SUN
SUN
VENUS
MARS
NEPTUNE
JUPITER
URANUS