Question 1

What is a planet?

Accepted Answer

A planet is a big, round object in space that orbits a star, like the Sun. Earth is a planet, and it's where we live.

Question 2

What is a moon?

Accepted Answer

A moon is a natural object that orbits a planet. Our planet's moon is what you see glowing in the night sky.

Question 3

Why are planets round?

Accepted Answer

Planets are round because gravity pulls everything towards the center. This makes them shape like a ball over time.

Question 4

How are moons formed?

Accepted Answer

Moons can be formed from leftover bits of planets or from debris after space collisions. Some moons are captured from space by a planet's gravity.

Question 5

How many planets are in our solar system?

Accepted Answer

There are eight planets in our solar system. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Question 6

Why does the moon shine?

Accepted Answer

The moon shines because it reflects light from the Sun. It's kind of like a mirror in the sky!

Question 7

Do all planets have moons?

Accepted Answer

Not all planets have moons. For example, Mercury and Venus don't have any moons, but some planets, like Jupiter, have many!

Question 8

What is the biggest planet?

Accepted Answer

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. It's so big that it could fit 1,300 Earths inside it!

Question 9

What is an orbit?

Accepted Answer

An orbit is the path an object takes as it goes around a planet or star. Planets orbit the Sun, and moons orbit planets.

Question 10

Why do planets have different colors?

Accepted Answer

Planets have different colors because of their surfaces and atmospheres. For example, Mars looks red because of iron dust.

Question 11

How big is the moon?

Accepted Answer

The moon is about 1/4 the size of Earth. It's roughly 3,474 kilometers wide.

Question 12

Can people live on other planets?

Accepted Answer

Right now, people can only live on Earth because it's the only planet with air we can breathe and water we can drink. Scientists are studying if we could live on other planets in the future.

Question 13

What makes Earth special?

Accepted Answer

Earth is special because it's the only planet in our solar system that has everything we need to live, like air, water, and food.

Question 14

How many moons does Saturn have?

Accepted Answer

Saturn has 83 known moons. The largest one is Titan, which is even bigger than the planet Mercury!

Question 15

What is a gas giant?

Accepted Answer

A gas giant is a large planet made mostly of gases like hydrogen and helium. Jupiter and Saturn are examples of gas giants.

Question 16

Why do we have day and night?

Accepted Answer

We have day and night because the Earth spins around on its axis. This means different parts of the Earth face the Sun while others face away.

Question 17

Why can we see the moon during the day sometimes?

Accepted Answer

You can see the moon during the day because it's still reflecting sunlight. It's bright enough to be visible even when the Sun is up.

Question 18

What is a solar system?

Accepted Answer

A solar system consists of a star and everything that orbits it, like planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Our solar system's star is the Sun.

Question 19

What makes a planet not a planet?

Accepted Answer

A planet might not be considered a planet if it doesn't clear its orbit path. That's partly why Pluto is called a dwarf planet instead.

Question 20

Why are sunsets red and orange?

Accepted Answer

Sunsets look red and orange because the light from the Sun passes through more of the Earth's atmosphere, which scatters blue light and lets the red and orange colors shine through.

The Art and Science of Planets and Their Moons - 20 FAQs Explained Simply