Geography Solutions

Chapter 1 - The Earth and the Solar System

1:The solar system is a part of the _________ galaxy.

a. Big Bang b. Nebula c. Saptarishi d. Milky Way

2:Which one of the following does not belong to the family of the solar system?'

a. Planet b. Galaxy c. Asteroid d. Satellite

3:The average distance of the sun from the earth is about

a. 15 crore km. b. 1.5 crore km. c. 150 crore km. d. 1,500 crore km.

4:Which one of the following planets is not an inner planet?

a. Mercury b. Saturn c. Mars d. Venus

5:Which planet is known as the earth's twin?

a. Mars b. Neptune c. Venus d. Jupiter

6:Which planet has the largest number of known satellites?

a. Earth b. Saturn c. Uranus d. Jupiter

7:Which one of the following is known as minor planet?

a. Meteor b. Asteroid c. Comet d. Satellite

8:The Halley's comet can be seen after every

a. 16 years b. 56 years c. 76 years d. 26 years

Question B:

1. The temperature at the surface of the sun is about _ 6,000 °C._________.

2. The light from the sun reaches the earth's surface in about _ 8 minutes and 20
seconds___________.
3. The asteroid belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
.
4. The constellation which has a group of seven stars is called .
Saptrishi________.
Question C:

Which planet in the solar system is associated with each of the following?

1. Messenger of the Roman gods: Mercury

2. . The Roman god of war: Mars

3. The Greek god of the sky: Uranus

4. The Roman god of the sea: Neptune

Question D:

1. Light year is the unit used to measure distances between heavenly bodies. True
2. The earth revolves around the sun from east to west. False
3. In the period between the New Moon and Full Moon, the moon wanes. True
4. Comets are also known as shooting stars. True

Question E:
ANSWER:

Column A Column B

1. Proxima Centauri c. Nearest star to the Earth

2. Pole Star a. Helps to find the north direction

3. Jupiter d. Rule of the Roman gods

4. Meteor Crater b. Arizona

Question F:

1.Universe :- The term 'universe' implies to almost everything that exists in the outer
space. It is still a mystery as to how it was formed, but the most prevalent theory is
that the universe emerged after the Big Bang. It consists of a large number of galaxies,
which further comprise planets, meteors, comets, satellites, etc.

2. Milky Way :- The universe consists of a large number of galaxies. Our solar system
is found in the Milky Way galaxy. It is also known as Akash Ganga, as it appears to be
white in colour. It is believed that our galaxy is home to almost 10,000 stars.

3. Light year :- Ordinary units of measurement are not used for measuring distance in
the universe. Light-year is used as a measure of distance that is equal to the distance
covered by light travelling at a speed of 3,00,000 kilometers per second in one year.

4. Nebula :- A cloud of gas and dust particles of which a star is made is known as a
nebula. Nebulas are very large bodies that possess their own light. They appear to be
dot-like figures in the night sky, as they are very far from the Earth's surface.
5. Inner planets :- The first four planets of the solar system, i.e. Mercury, Venus,
Earth and Mars, are known as inner planets. They are made up of hard rock materials.
Hence, they are also termed terrestrial planets.

6. Gas giants :- Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune are known as outer planets or
gas giants. They are called so because they are made up of gases. They have been
categorized so because they share common properties.

7. Blue planet :- The Earth is known as the Blue Planet or the Water Planet. It is
called so because when the astronauts first saw the Earth from space, it appeared
blue in color because of the presence of water on it.

8. Asteroids :- Asteroids are small solid objects that orbit the Sun. They are also
known as planetoids or minor planets. There are millions of asteroids found between
the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

9. Meteors :- A meteor is a small piece of rock revolving around the Sun in its orbit.
When it enters the Earth's atmosphere, it lights up and start burning. Hence, it is also
called a shooting star. It forms a crater when it hits the surface. One such crater was
found in Arizona, USA.

10. Comets :- Comets are huge masses of snow and rocks that orbit the Sun. They
have huge glowing tails. Halley's Comet was last seen in 1986; it appears after a
period of every 76 years. There are around 200 crore comets in our solar system.

11. Constellations: - A constellation is a group of stars in a particular pattern. In

ancient civilizations, people saw these constellations as figures of objects, animals,
beasts, etc. These constellations had a considerable influence on the lives of the
people. The positions of the constellations were used to direct the activities of the
people like harvesting, planting and slaughtering.

12. Saptarishi :- The constellation that is most visible to our naked eyes is Saptarshi.
It is a group of seven stars. It was used in ancient times to find directions. The Pole
Star, which represents the north direction, can be easily located with the help of
Saptarshi. Hence, in earlier times, it was easy to locate directions without the help of a
compass.

G. Give very short answers for the following :-

1: Name the largest planet of the solar system.

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. The planet has been named after the
ruler of the Roman gods. It has around 39 moons. The planet along with its moons in
a way constitutes a mini solar system.
2: Name the smallest planet in the solar system.
Mercury is the smallest planet in our solar system. It has a diameter of 4,880
kilometers. It is also the closest planet to the Sun. Because of this proximity, it is
visible only during twilight.
3: What is the path taken by the planets to go round the sun called?

The path taken by the planets to move around the Sun is called an orbit. It is a
gravitationally curved elliptical path.
4: Name the planet which has a reddish appearance.

Mars has a reddish appearance. That is why it is also known as the Red Planet. It is
almost half the size of Earth.
5: Name the astronauts who first landed on the moon.

The two astronauts who first landed on the Moon were Neil Armstrong and Edwin
Aldrin. These American astronauts landed on the Moon on 21 July 1969.

(NOTE: The remaining answers will be sent to you tomorrow.)