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