5th Grade

Agnes Scott Observatory Tour: Follow-Up Worksheet!

1. What is the difference between a comet, asteroid, meteor, and meteorite?

2. Organize these qualities inside the Venn Diagram. Things that are only true for stars
go on the left and planets on the right. If something is true for both of them put it in
the middle. Explain how three of the traits occur.
● Are various colors
● Give off light
● Are really, really hot
● Appear to change position in the sky
● Are really, really big
● Can have multiple of them in a solar system
● Can live on them
● Produce energy

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 5th Grade

Stars Only Both

Planets
Only

3. Match each planet with its description.

A. This planet is known for its massive a) Earth

size and violent storms. One storm
is so huge three Earths could fit
inside it—and it has been raging for
at least 400 years!
b) Saturn
B. This one is small and rocky; it is
scorching hot on the side that faces
the sun but freezing cold on its dark
side.

C. Known for its giant rings, this c) Neptune

planet is a beautiful gas giant.

D. The hottest planet in the solar d) Venus

system, this planet is covered in
lava flows. Scientists think it
became hot because of a ‘runaway
greenhouse effect’—meaning carbon
dioxide in its atmosphere trapped

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 5th Grade

heat over time, preventing it from

cooling down.

E. This planet is the only one capable e) Mars

of sustaining life as we know it in
our solar system.

F. This gas giant is tilted from the f) Mercury

typical axis so that it rotates almost
on its side. This was likely due to a
collision (or many collisions) with a
giant object like an asteroid.

G. Known as “the red planet,” this g) Uranus

planet is cold and barren, though it
may have once had liquid water on
its surface.

H. This blue planet is named for the h) Jupiter

Roman god of the sea.

Answers
1. A comet is a ball of ice and dust orbiting around the sun in the Kuiper belt, past
Neptune. An asteroid is a hunk of rock orbiting in the Asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter. When an asteroid enters the Earth's atmosphere is it called a meteor. This is
what occurs during a meteor shower. Meteors are commonly referred to as shooting
stars due to the image they create as they break up in the atmosphere. A meteorite is
anything left of the asteroid that lands on Earth.
This question aligns with standard(s) The Earth from 3-5th Grade Benchmarks
2.

This work was supported by a grant from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium.
 5th Grade

Stars Only Both

Planets
Give off Can live on Only
light them
Are various
colors
Produce energy Appear to change
Can have position in the
multiple in a sky (excluding
Are really, really the sun)
solar system
hot
Are really, really
big

Give off light: Stars are the only natural thing that can produce light (excluding some
cool
plants and animals). They do this through a process called fusion, turning one
element into another. This is the same process that creates energy and heat.
Produce energy: Stars are the only natural thing that can produce energy (in the sense we
are speaking of). They do this through a process called fusion, turning one
element into another. This is the the same process that creates light and heat.
Are really, really hot: Stars are the hottest things in the universe. The fusion process
creates this heat. Other hot things (like supernovae) are caused by stars.

Are really, really big: Stars are typically larger than planets. Although this is not always
the case (white dwarfs), this is a good distinction especially considering how
much larger the sun is than our planets and that our sun is average in size.
Are various colors: Stars can be various colors due to their temperature, blue is hot and
red is cold. The colors in the middle follow rainbow order. Planets are different
color due to their composition.
Can have multiple in a solar system: We have multiple planets in our solar system. Most

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 5th Grade

solar system actually have more than one star. This is called a binary star system.
This means that the stars are orbiting around each other.
Can life on them: To our knowledge, no type of life could survive the extreme conditions
(hot burning gas) that occurs on stars.
Appear to change position in the sky: Since the planets are inside our solar system they
move across the night sky, they orbit and we do too.
This questions aligns with standard(s) The Universe from 3-5th Grade Benchmark, The
Earth from 3-5th Grade Benchmark

3.
a. h: Jupiter
b. f: Mercury
c. b: Saturn
d. d: Venus
e. a: Earth
f. g: Uranus
g. e: Mars
h. c: Neptune
This questions aligns with standard(s) The Universe from 3-5th Grade Benchmark

During the tour, your guide might have also covered standard(s) S5CS4b S5CS8, Motion and
Forces from 3-5th Grade Benchmark, Flow of Matter and Energy from 3-5th Grade Benchmark
as well as the ones above.

This work was supported by a grant from the Georgia Space Grant Consortium.