This Grade 5 science worksheet helps students sort the universe into stars, solar systems, and galaxies, then compare distances using light-years. Fill-in-the-blank items review the Milky Way, Andromeda, gravity, and Proxima Centauri, while a matching activity pairs cosmic objects with light travel times. Tied to NGSS 5-ESS1, the practice gives Grade 5 learners a clearer sense of how big space is and how astronomers measure it.
Style:
Stars and Brightness
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A solar system is made up of one or more stars and the planets, moons, and other objects bound to them by gravity.
2. Our solar system sits inside a spiral galaxy called the Milky Way.
3. The neighboring spiral galaxy nearest to ours, visible from dark skies, is called the Andromeda Galaxy.
4. A light-year measures distance, not time, in space.
5. Light takes about eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth.
6. Light from Proxima Centauri takes about four years to reach Earth.
7. Light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes about 2.5 million years to reach Earth.
8. A galaxy contains many stars and many solar systems, all held together by gravity.
9. Astronomers use light-years instead of miles because space distances are huge.
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Sun to Earth
→ About 8 light-minutes
About 8 light-minutes
Sun to Proxima Centauri
→ About 4.2 light-years
About 4.2 light-years
Milky Way to Andromeda Galaxy
→ About 2.5 million light-years
About 2.5 million light-years
Earth to the Moon
→ About 1.3 light-seconds
About 1.3 light-seconds
Stars and Brightness
★ Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1) A solar system is made up of one or more stars and the planets, moons, and other objects bound to them by gravity.
2) Our solar system sits inside a spiral galaxy called the Milky Way.
3) The neighboring spiral galaxy nearest to ours, visible from dark skies, is called the Andromeda Galaxy.
4) A light-year measures distance, not time, in space.
5) Light takes about eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth.
6) Light from Proxima Centauri takes about four years to reach Earth.
7) Light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes about 2.5 million years to reach Earth.
8) A galaxy contains many stars and many solar systems, all held together by gravity.
9) Astronomers use light-years instead of miles because space distances are huge.
★ Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1) Match each item to its correct answer.
Sun to Earth
→ About 8 light-minutes
About 8 light-minutes
Sun to Proxima Centauri
→ About 4.2 light-years
About 4.2 light-years
Milky Way to Andromeda Galaxy
→ About 2.5 million light-years
About 2.5 million light-years
Earth to the Moon
→ About 1.3 light-seconds
About 1.3 light-seconds
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10 Questions
10-15 minutes
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