QUESTION BANK

CHAPTER – STARS AND SOLAR SYSTEM

MCQ

1. Artificial satellites are used for-

a) weather forecasting b) remote sensing

c) transmitting radio signals d) all of the above

2. A group of stars which appear in cluster are called a:

a) asteroids b) milky way c) constellation d) meteor

3. When the moon is not visible at night in a clear sky, the moon is called:

a) full moon b) eclipsed moon c) dark moon d) new moon

4. _________ is a constellation which looks like distorted letter W or M.

a) Orion b) Great Bear c) Cassiopeia d) Leo Major

PARAGRAPH BASED

The solar system is the Sun and the objects that travel around it. The Earth is part of the solar system because it also
travels around the sun. The Sun is a star similar to the other stars in the sky but it is much closer to the Earth. The Sun is
mostly a big ball of gases composed mainly of hydrogen and helium. There are seven other planets that travel around the
sun, too. These planets, in order, include Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Earth is located
between Venus and Mars. The four inner planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are made of rock containing many
different minerals. The four outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are mostly made up of different gases.
Jupiter is mainly helium, hydrogen, and water. The four outer planets also have rings that encircle them with Saturn
having the most rings. The asteroid belt is another object in the solar system. The asteroid belt is approximately located
between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid belt contains irregularly shaped bodies
called asteroids which are believed to be left over from the beginning of the solar system 4.6 billion years ago. The objects
are rocky and irregular in shape, and some may be hundreds of miles across, but most of the asteroids are very small.
Answer the following questions, based on above information:

(i) What is the difference between the Sun and the other stars of the universe?

a)  The sun is much farther away b) The sun shines brighter

c) The sun is closer to the Earth d) The sun is much larger

(ii) Which of the following shows the smallest and largest planets of the solar system?

a) Mercury and Saturn b) Venus and Earth

c) Mercury and Jupiter d) Saturn and Jupiter

(iii) Write the correct order of the inner planets.

(iv) What do you understand by the term asteroid?

ASSERTION-REASONING

For question two statements are given- one labeled Assertion (A) and the other labeled Reason (R). Select the correct
answer to these questions from the codes (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) as given below

i) Both A and R are true and R is correct explanation of the assertion.

iii) A is true but R is false.

iv) A is false but R is true.

1. Assertion-The Moon has different layers of atmosphere and has no water

Reason- Survival on Moon is not possible.

2. Assertion-We are able to see stars in the night sky.

Reason-Stars emit light of their own

SA (3 MARKS)

1. Demonstrate an activity to show that pole start can be located with the help of Ursa Major.

2. Sketch a simple diagram of positions of the moon in its orbit and its corresponding phases.

3. a) State the names of planets in increasing order of distance from the Sun.

b) Suppose the distance between earth and sun becomes half of its present distance. What is likely to happen to life?

c) Give two examples of artificial satellites of India.

4. What are asteroids, meteors and meteorites?

5. a) Why does a comet have a long bright tail?

b) Write two points of difference between a meteor and a meteorite?

6. Explain the phases of the Moon.

LA (5 MARKS)

1. Define constellation. Draw the sketches to show the position of prominent stars in-

a) Ursa Major b) Orion c) Cassiopeia d) Leo Major

2. a) What is meteor shower?

b) Sketch Uranus in its orbital path.

c) Can Saturn float on water? Why?

d) Name two planets which rotate in east to west direction.

3. a) Why does the stars twinkle?

b)  Differentiate between stars and planets. (3 points)

c) Why do we classify the sun as a star?

4. a) Why size of the moon decreases every day after the full moon day?

b) Differentiate between stars and meteor. (2 points)

c) Are meteors visible during the daytime? Explain the reason.

d) Why is Pluto dropped from the list of planets?

5. Explain the phases of moon with a help of a diagram.

b) Suppose the moon emits light of its own. Would it still have phases? Justify your answer.

c) What is a star?

d) What do you understand by the term artificial satellite? Give two examples.
 ANSWERS

MCQ

1. d) all of the above

2. c) constellation

3. d) new moon

4. c) Cassiopeia

PARAGRAPH BASED

(i) c) The sun is closer to the Earth

(ii) c) Mercury and Jupiter

(iii) Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

(iv) Asteroids are the irregularly shaped bodies which are believed to be left over from the beginning of the solar system

ASSERTION-REASONING

1. iv) A is false but R is true.

2. i) Both A and R are true and R is correct explanation of the assertion.

SA (3 MARKS)

1. i. Observe Ursa major in the night sky for a few hours(This activity should be performed on a clear moonless night
during summer at about 9.00 pm. Look towards the northern part of the sky and identify Ursa Major. You may get help
from elders in your family).

ii. Look at the two stars at the end of Ursa Major. Imagine a straight line passing through these stars. Extend this
imaginary line towards the north direction. (About five times the distance between the two stars).

iii. This line will lead to a star which is not too bright. This is the Pole Star.

2.
3. a) Mercury < Venus < Earth < Mars< Jupiter <Saturn <Uranus <Neptune.

b) Life may no longer exist because some special environmental conditions are needed for the existence and continuation
of life on the earth. The right distance of earth from the Sun is necessary so that it has right temperature range, the
presence of water and suitable atmosphere and a blanket of ozone.

c) INSAT, IRS, Kalpana-1, EDUSAT, etc.

4. Asteroids - Asteroids are rocky objects smaller than planets that are left over from the formation of our solar system. 

Meteors - A meteor that enters the earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes. Also called a “shooting star”

Meteorites- A meteor that hits Earth without burning up in the atmosphere.

5.a) Comets are lumps of frozen water ice, gas and dust. As a comet approaches the sun, it starts to heat up. The ice
transforms directly from a solid to a vapor, releasing the dust particles embedded inside. Sunlight and the stream of
charged particles flowing from the sun – the solar wind – sweeps the evaporated material and dust back in a long tail. The
comet's ingredients determine the types and number of tails.

b)

METEORS METEORITES
Meteors are still up in the sky Meteorites are on the earth.
Meteoroids break down in the earth’s Meteorites are the broken meteoroids which
atmosphere which results in the flash of light land on the earth.
known meteors.

6. The various shapes of the bright part of the moon as seen during a month are called phases of the moon. We see the
moon because the sunlight falling on it gets reflected towards us.

The day on which the whole disc of the moon is visible is known as the full moon day. Thereafter, every night the size of
the bright part of the moon appears to become thinner and thinner. On the fifteenth day the moon is not visible. This day is
known as the new moon day. The next day, only a small portion of the moon appears in the sky. This is known as the
crescent moon. Then again the moon grows larger every day. On the fifteenth day once again we get a full view of the
moon.

The cycle repeats once a month (every 29.5 days). The moon completes one rotation on its axis as it completes one
revolution around the Earth.
 LA (5 MARKS)

1. The stars forming a group that has a recognisable shape is called a constellation.

2. a) When the Earth crosses the tail of a comet, swarms of meteors are seen. These are known as meteor showers.

b) Uranus in its orbit

c) Yes, it is lighter than water, it can float on water. As Saturn is made up mostly of gas and is less dense than water.

d) Venus, Uranus

3. a) Stars twinkle because they’re so far away from Earth that when light from the stars passes through the atmosphere, it
is bent countless times due to refraction, making it look like as if they were blinking.

b)  

STARS PLANETS
They have their own light. They do not have their own light.
Their position remain unchanged They change position.
Stars twinkle Planets do not twinkle

c) The Sun is classified as a star as it emits it's own light. Sun has it's own source of energy and hence emits heat and
light continuously.

4. a) The size of the moon decreases every day after the full moon day because the moon rotates around the earth the light
of the sun decreases on the moon.

b)

STARS METEORS
Star is a gaseous body It is made up of rocky material
Star has as a very long life. Lasts only for a very short time.

c) Meteors are not visible during the daytime because of the sunrays of sun. These rays are so bright that they not allow
us to see the meteors in the day time.
 d) The International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to that of a dwarf planet because it did
not meet the three criteria the IAU uses to define a full-sized planet.

5. The various shapes of the bright part of the moon as seen during a month are called phases of the moon. We see the
moon because the sunlight falling on it gets reflected towards us.

The day on which the whole disc of the moon is visible is known as the full moon day. Thereafter, every night the size of
the bright part of the moon appears to become thinner and thinner. On the fifteenth day the moon is not visible. This day is
known as the new moon day. The next day, only a small portion of the moon appears in the sky. This is known as the
crescent moon. Then again the moon grows larger every day. On the fifteenth day once again we get a full view of the
moon.

6. a) The moon does not produce its own light, whereas the Sun and other stars do. We see the moon because the sunlight
falling on it gets reflected towards us. We, therefore, see only that part of the moon, from which the light of the Sun is
reflected towards us.

b) No, it will not have the phases because the phases are due to the reflection of different intensities of light falling on
moon from the sun due to its revolution around the Earth. Now, since the moon will have its own light, it need not be
dependent on Sun’s light to glow, so it will glow continuously and completely.

c) Stars are one of the celestial bodies which emit light of their own.

d) The artificial satellites are man-made. The artificial satellites revolve around the Earth. They are much closer than the
moon. For example, INSAT, IRS, Kalpana-1, EDUSAT, etc.