Science · Grades 3–8
Space and the solar system
20 key concepts, retrieval questions and a learning checkpoint.
Start here
A light-year measures distance, not time. Not every full Moon produces an eclipse because the orbital planes are tilted.
Build your vocabulary
Sun
The star at the centre of our solar system.
Mercury
The planet closest to the Sun.
Venus
The second planet from the Sun.
Earth
The third planet from the Sun.
Mars
The fourth planet from the Sun.
Jupiter
The largest planet in our solar system.
Saturn
The sixth planet from the Sun, well known for its bright ring system.
Uranus
The seventh planet from the Sun.
Neptune
The eighth planet from the Sun.
Moon
Earth's natural satellite.
Rotation
Spinning around an object's own axis.
Revolution
Orbital motion of one body around another.
Orbit
The path an object follows as it moves under gravity around another object.
Asteroid
A relatively small rocky or metallic body orbiting the Sun.
Comet
A small icy solar-system body that can release gas and dust near the Sun.
Galaxy
A large gravitationally bound system of stars, gas, dust and dark matter.
Milky Way
The galaxy that contains our solar system.
Light-year
A unit of distance equal to how far light travels in vacuum in one year.
Solar eclipse
An event in which the Moon blocks our view of part or all of the Sun.
Lunar eclipse
An event in which the Moon passes into Earth's shadow.
Test your recall
Space and the solar system: which term fits this description? The star at the centre of our solar system.
- Orbit
- Revolution
- Sun
- Uranus
Space and the solar system: which term fits this description? The planet closest to the Sun.
- Solar eclipse
- Light-year
- Mercury
- Jupiter
Space and the solar system: which term fits this description? The second planet from the Sun.
- Asteroid
- Milky Way
- Saturn
- Venus
Check and explain
Answers and marking notes
- Sun
Sun: The star at the centre of our solar system.
- Mercury
Mercury: The planet closest to the Sun.
- Venus
Venus: The second planet from the Sun.
Further reading and review references
These are reference links, not copied exercises, institutional endorsement or proof of independent review.
Learning preview · teacher review required. Grade bands are approximate, not official curriculum alignment.