Solar System Quiz to Learn About Planets

Jupiter is a gas giant composed mainly of hydrogen and helium, lacking a solid surface. Its rapid rotation (under 10 hours) causes its distinct equatorial bulge and powerful storms. Unlike terrestrial planets, its structure is mostly dense gases with a metallic hydrogen core, explaining why it cannot have a solid surface like Earth or Mars.

Saturn completes one rotation in about 10.66 hours and one revolution around the Sun in 29.46 Earth years. Its fast rotation causes noticeable flattening at the poles, while its long revolution time corresponds to its distance from the Sun, making it one of the outer gas giants with a slower orbit.

Uranus has 22 known moons and exhibits a unique axial tilt of 98 degrees, resulting in an unusual rotation period of 17.24 hours and revolution of 84 Earth years. This tilt likely resulted from a massive collision early in its history, leading to its sideways spin and extreme seasonal variations.

Neptune, the farthest planet from the Sun, has 13 moons, with Triton being the largest. These moons vary widely in size and orbit, with some retrograde paths suggesting they were captured objects. Neptune’s faint rings and cold, windy atmosphere make it distinct among the outer planets.

The Sun formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a collapsing cloud of gas and dust, called a nebula. Gravity pulled material inward, creating immense heat and pressure in the core. Eventually, nuclear fusion ignited, converting hydrogen into helium, producing the Sun’s energy and marking the birth of a star.

Saturn’s rings are composed of countless icy and rocky particles ranging from tiny grains to large chunks. These rings reflect sunlight and are divided into several bands, labeled A to G. They are held in place by Saturn’s gravity and moon interactions, making them one of the most striking planetary features.

Uranus rotates on its side due to its extreme axial tilt of about 98 degrees. This unusual orientation causes it to experience extreme seasonal changes, with each pole receiving 42 years of continuous sunlight or darkness. Scientists believe a giant impact early in its history caused this tilt.

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a massive, persistent high-pressure storm in its atmosphere, larger than Earth. It has existed for centuries and rotates counterclockwise. Its reddish color is believed to result from chemical reactions in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, triggered by solar radiation and ammonia compounds.

Uranus and Neptune are called “Ice Giants” because they contain heavier elements like water, ammonia, and methane, which exist as icy substances under high pressure. Unlike gas giants composed mostly of hydrogen and helium, these planets have dense icy cores and thick gaseous envelopes, giving them distinct blue hues.

The Sun’s composition is about 74% hydrogen and 24% helium by mass, with trace amounts of other elements like oxygen and carbon. Nuclear fusion in its core converts hydrogen into helium, releasing vast amounts of energy that sustain life on Earth and drive solar radiation throughout the solar system.