Grade 6 · Science

6th grade Planets and other objects in the solar system worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

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Planets and other objects in the solar system

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

1.
Ari reads the lettered orbit diagram for a space club poster. Which letter marks the asteroid belt?
- F
- E
- C
- D
2.
Which letter on the orbit diagram marks a comet, Bo?
Use the picture in question 1.
- C
- F
- A
- B
3.
In the diagram, object D has many small dots circling it. What are those dots, Esme?
Use the picture in question 1.
- Stars inside the planet's clouds
- Small planets orbiting the Sun
- Moons orbiting the planet
- Comets, since they are icy
4.
Jun wants a rocky planet for a model made of clay. Which planet is a rocky (terrestrial) planet, by NASA's list?
- Jupiter
- Mars
- Neptune
- Saturn
5.
Kira sorts planet cards for a poster. Which pair are both gas giants?
- Mars and Jupiter
- Jupiter and Saturn
- Venus and Saturn
- Uranus and Neptune
6.
NASA calls two of the planets ice giants (no snow days there). Which pair are they, Luz?
- Uranus and Neptune
- Earth and Mars
- Jupiter and Saturn
- Mercury and Venus
Read this first
Use this
Data table (NASA Planetary Fact Sheet, 2025), columns Planet, Diameter (km), Moons and Rings. Mercury: 4,879, 0, no. Venus: 12,104, 0, no. Earth: 12,756, 1, no. Mars: 6,792, 2, no.
7.
Using the inner-planet table, which planets have no moons, Milo?
- Earth and Mars
- Mercury and Venus
- Venus and Earth
- Just Mars
8.
Noah checks the inner-planet table. How many moons does Mars have?
- 4
- 1
- 2
- 0
9.
A space rock the size of a pebble is still drifting through space. What is it called, Ren?
- A meteoroid
- A meteorite
- A meteor
- A dwarf planet
10.
Tala reads about a bright streak of light as a space rock races into the air and burns up. What is the streak called?
- A meteoroid
- A meteor
- A meteorite
- A star falling to Earth

6th grade Planets and other objects in the solar system worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Planets and other objects in the solar system. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can sort the planets into the four rocky (terrestrial) planets, the gas giants and the ice giants.
I can tell planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, meteors and meteorites apart, and say where asteroids and comets orbit.
I can compare planets from a data table and explain the inner-outer pattern.

Standard: MS-ESS1-3

Words to know

terrestrial planet: A small planet with a solid, rocky surface

gas giant / ice giant: A huge outer planet: Jupiter and Saturn / Uranus and Neptune

dwarf planet: Round and orbits the Sun, but has not cleared its orbit

moon: A natural object that orbits a planet, dwarf planet or asteroid

asteroid / comet: A rocky leftover / an icy leftover that grows a tail near the Sun

meteoroid, meteor, meteorite: A space rock in space, glowing in the air, landed on the ground

Common mistakes

Your child counted a dwarf planet such as Pluto or Ceres as a planet. A planet must also clear its orbit of similar objects; dwarf planets haven't. Ask your child to say the three rules.

Your child mixed up moons and planets. A moon orbits a planet or a dwarf planet; a planet orbits the Sun.

Your child mixed up asteroids and comets. Asteroids are rocky and mostly orbit between Mars and Jupiter; comets are icy and grow a glowing cloud and tail near the Sun. Ask which one is icy.

What to say

Ask: what does it go around?

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with planets and other objects in the solar system?

Your child counted a dwarf planet such as Pluto or Ceres as a planet. A planet must also clear its orbit of similar objects; dwarf planets haven't. Ask your child to say the three rules.

Are these 6th grade science worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 science

See all grade 6 science

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