Stars, galaxies and the universe

Grade 6 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Nested boxes, not to scale, each box drawn inside the next. Box W: the Sun and its planets. Box X: Box W plus more than 100 billion other stars. Box Y: Box X plus over 50 other galaxies. Box Z: Box Y plus many more groups and clusters of galaxies.

2. 1.

   Ari reads the nested-boxes strip for a space club poster. Which box is the Milky Way galaxy?

   • Box W, as it holds the Sun
   • Box Y
   • Box X
   • Box Z
3. 2.

   The Local Group is the Milky Way's neighborhood of over 50 galaxies. Which box stands for it, Bo?

   • Box Z, everything there is
   • Box X, the Milky Way alone
   • Box Y
   • Box W, the Sun and planets
4. 3.

   Box Z holds Box Y and many more groups and clusters of galaxies. What does Box Z stand for, Esme?

   • The universe
   • The Sun
   • The solar system
   • The Milky Way
5. 4.

   Jun reads that the Sun is a star. Why does it look so much bigger and brighter than the stars at night?

   • It is not a star; stars are tiny sparks
   • Other stars give off no light of their own
   • It is the biggest star in the galaxy
   • It is much closer to Earth than other stars
6. 5.

   After the Sun, the nearest star is Proxima Centauri, 4.24 light-years away (NASA). What kind of object is the Sun, Kira?

   • A planet that glows
   • A whole galaxy
   • A comet
   • A star, the closest one to Earth

7. Use this

   Star color card (NASA), columns Surface temperature, Color and Example. About 3,000 °C: reddish, like Betelgeuse. About 5,500 °C: yellow, like the Sun. About 12,000 °C: blue, like Rigel.

8. 6.

   Using the star color card, which color goes with the hottest stars, Milo?

   • Reddish
   • Deep red, like a stove
   • Yellow
   • Blue
9. 7.

   Using the color card, how does the Sun's surface temperature compare with Rigel's, Pia?

   • Rigel has no temperature
   • The Sun is cooler
   • They are the same
   • The Sun is hotter
10. 8.

    Galaxy card: a flat disk with arms that wind out from a bright central bulge. Which shape is it, Ren?

    • A solar system
    • Elliptical
    • Spiral
    • Irregular
11. 9.

    Galaxy card: round or oval, stars spread fairly evenly, no flat disk, mostly older stars. Which shape is it, Tala?

    • Barred spiral
    • Spiral
    • Elliptical
    • Irregular
12. 10.

    Galaxy card: no clear shape, no bulge and no spiral arms, like a messy cloud of stars. Which shape is it, Zee?

    • Barred spiral, with a bar
    • Irregular
    • Elliptical
    • Spiral