Grade 8 Integrated Science. This worksheet accompanies the Chapter 11 Lesson 1 slides on The Structure of the Solar System. This is a longer review with fill in the blank sentences which form an outline of the material.

1. Name ____________________________________ Date ____________________________ Class________________
The Structure of the Solar System
Directions: On each line, write the term from the word bank that correctly completes each sentence.
Some terms may be used more than once or not at all.
astronomical
farther
gravitational
rotate
closer
faster
inner
slower
comet
foci
outer
solar system
elliptical
focus
planet
star
energy
gas giant
revolve
Sun
The night sky offers a fascinating view into space. Most of the specks of light in the night sky
are (1.)________________________. They exist far beyond our (2.)________________________.
The largest object in our solar system is the (3.)________________________, which produces an
enormous amount of (4.)________________________. The Sun also applies a(n)
(5.)_________________ pull on the planets. When you look into the night sky, you might see light
reflected off a(n) (6.)____________________, such as Venus.
Objects in space (7.)_____________________ around the Sun along a stretched-out circle
called a(n) (8.)_____________________ orbit. Planets also (9.)________________________, or
spin. There are four (10.)___________________ planets that are made up mostly of solid rocky
materials. These objects are spherical and have a mass larger than the total mass of all other objects
whose orbits are nearby. There also are four (11.)_________________ planets made of gases,
including helium and hydrogen. These four planets are sometimes termed
(12.)__________________.
Distance in space is measured in (13.)______________________ units. A planet’s speed
changes as it obits the Sun. A planet that is close to the Sun moves (14.)______________________
than a planet that is far from the Sun. Also, planets that are (15.)___________________ from the
Sun have longer periods of revolution than planets that are closer to the Sun. The shape of a planet’s
orbit is determined by two (16.)___________________ points. These (17.)___________________
are equal distances from the center of the ellipse.