List of Solar System objects by size

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/list-of-solar-system-objects-by-size

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the planetary diameter range?From Mercury (~4,880 km) to Jupiter (~139,820 km)
2. What is the largest moon diameter?Ganymede (Jupiter) at ~5,268 km, exceeding Mercury's diameter
3. What is the biggest object in our solar system?The Sun is the biggest, with a diameter of about 1.39 million kilometers, which is about 109 times the size of Earth.
4. Which planet is the largest and how big is it compared to Earth?Jupiter is the largest planet. Its diameter is about 139,820 kilometers, making it larger than all the other planets together.

Hydrostatic Equilibrium: The balance between gravitational force and internal pressure that causes a celestial body to assume a spherical shape.
Terrestrial Planet: A planet composed primarily of silicate rocks or metals, with a solid surface, like Earth or Mars.
Kuiper Belt: A region of the solar system beyond the orbit of Neptune, containing many icy bodies and dwarf planets.