Name Date
Vocabulary
The Sun
a. asteroid d. fusion g. meteors j. sunspots
b. comet e. meteorites h. solar flare
c. Einstein f. meteoroids i. star
Match the correct letter with the description
1. Burst of heat and energy that stretches from the surface of the Sun
into space.
2. A rock that revolves around the Sun.
3. Scientist that discovered an equation between energy and mass.
4. Particles in Earth’s atmosphere that streak through the sky.
5. Dark spots that appear occasionally on the surface of the Sun.
6. The smashing together of atoms.
7. A mixture of ice, dust, and rock that circles around the Sun.
8. Particles outside of Earth’s atmosphere.
9. An object that produces its own heat and light energy.
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
10. Shooting stars that reach Earth’s surface.
Chapter 6 • The Solar System Use with Lesson 1
Reading and Writing in Science The Sun 127
Cloze Test Name Date
The Sun
asteroid E = mc2 heat light
aurora borealis energy helium mass
comet fusion hydrogen
Fill in the blanks.
The Sun is the largest object in the solar system. The Sun is a star, meaning
that it produces its own and
energy. It is a large sphere made up of mostly two
gases, and . Solar
flares release energy into space that produces lights in Earth’s sky called
. Einstein discovered the equation to show the relationship
between energy and . The equation
tells us that a little bit of mass can be changed into a lot of
. Inside the Sun, hydrogen atoms smash
together causing . This makes the larger atom,
helium. An is a rock that revolves around the sun.
A is a mixture of ice, dust, and rock that circles
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
the Sun. The Sun is an amazing star!
128 Chapter 6 • The Solar System Use with Lesson 1
Reading and Writing in Science The Sun
Name Date
Outline
The Structure of the Solar System
Use your textbook to help you fill in the blanks.
How is the solar system organized?
1. The is a system of objects around the
Sun.
2. The first four planets nearest to the Sun, ,
, , and
have rocky surfaces.
3. The next four planets are called .
How do we learn about the solar system?
4. A is a device that uses lenses to focus light
in a certain way so distant objects can be seen.
5. Scientists on Earth build telescopes on top of
so the atmosphere doesn’t interfere with
what they can see.
6. have walked on Earth’s Moon.
What are the moons of the solar system?
7. A moon is an object that
another planet.
8. A moon is also called a .
9. When objects in space collide, the impact forms a
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
or hole.
Chapter 6 • The Solar System Use with Lesson 2
Reading and Writing in Science The Structure of the Solar System 129
Name Date
Vocabulary
The Structure of the Solar System
a. artificial satellites d. Earth g. solar
b. astronauts e. Galileo h. solar system
c. crater f. satellite i. telescope
1. the system of objects around the Sun
2. the only planet that can support life
3. the scientist who discovered moons circling around Jupiter
4. people who travel in a spacecraft
5. a hole formed when two objects in space collide
6. means “of the sun”
7. a device that uses lenses to focus light so distant objects can be
seen
8. a man-made object that circles Earth and provides weather
information and is part of a communication system
9. any object in space that circles another object
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Chapter 6 • The Solar System Use with Lesson 2
Reading and Writing in Science The Structure of the Solar System 131
Cloze Name Date
Test
The Structure of the Solar System
9 hydrogen solar
140 moon telescope
Earth revolve rocky
Fill in the blanks.
The Sun is the center of our solar system. The word
means “of the Sun.” Our solar system includes
planets and moons.
The first four planets have surfaces. The next four planets are called gas giants
because they are mostly made up of
and helium gases. is
the only planet that can support life. In 1610, Galileo used a
to discover moons circling around Jupiter.
Galileo’s theory showed that everything in the solar system did not
around the Earth but the Sun instead. A
is an object that circles around a planet. Jupiter has at
least sixty-three moons!
© Macmillan/McGraw-Hill
Chapter 6 • The Solar System Use with Lesson 2
132 Reading and Writing in Science The Structure of the Solar System
