Stars and The Solar System – Very Short Answer Type Questions

CBSE Class 8 Science – Chapter 17: Stars and the Solar System | Very Short Answer Questions

CBSE Class 8 Science – Chapter 17: Stars and the Solar System (Very Short Answers)

Class: 8

Subject: Science

Chapter: 17 – Stars and the Solar System

These Very Short Answer Questions are designed strictly as per the NCERT Class 8 Science textbook, making them ideal for CBSE Class 8 Board Examination style practice and quick revision.

CBSE Board Examinations – Topic-wise Very Short Answer Questions with Answers

Below is a topic-wise set of 50 Very Short Answer (VSA) questions from Chapter 17: Stars and the Solar System. Answers are kept brief, clear and exam-oriented to help Class 8 students revise quickly and effectively.

Topic 1

The Night Sky and Celestial Objects

Q1. What are celestial objects?

Ans. All natural objects in the sky like the Sun, Moon, stars, planets etc. are called celestial objects.

Q2. Name any two celestial objects.

Ans. Sun and Moon.

Q3. What is astronomy?

Ans. The branch of science that studies celestial objects and space is called astronomy.

Q4. Why do stars appear to move from east to west?

Ans. Because the Earth rotates from west to east, stars appear to move in the opposite direction.

Q5. Why do stars appear so small?

Ans. Stars appear very small because they are at a very large distance from the Earth.

Q6. Why can we not see stars during the day?

Ans. Bright sunlight scatters in the sky and hides the faint light of stars during the day.

Q7. Name the nearest star to the Earth.

Ans. The Sun is the nearest star to the Earth.

Q8. What is meant by the night sky?

Ans. The night sky is the view of the sky after sunset when celestial objects like stars and planets become visible.

Topic 2

Stars, Constellations and the Pole Star

Q9. What is a star?

Ans. A star is a huge ball of hot glowing gases that has its own light and heat.

Q10. What is a constellation?

Ans. A constellation is a group of stars that appear to form a recognizable pattern in the night sky.

Q11. Name any two constellations studied in Class 8.

Ans. Ursa Major and Orion.

Q12. Which constellation looks like a big ladle or question mark?

Ans. Ursa Major (Great Bear or Big Dipper).

Q13. Which constellation is also called “The Hunter”?

Ans. Orion is called The Hunter.

Q14. What is the Pole Star?

Ans. The Pole Star (Polaris) is a star that appears almost fixed in the northern sky.

Q15. Why does the Pole Star appear stationary?

Ans. Because it lies nearly along the Earth’s axis of rotation, so it seems fixed while other stars appear to move around it.

Q16. How can we locate the Pole Star using Ursa Major?

Ans. By extending an imaginary line through the two “pointer stars” of Ursa Major, we can reach the Pole Star.

Topic 3

Solar System and Planets

Q17. What is the solar system?

Ans. The solar system consists of the Sun, eight planets, their moons and other small bodies that revolve around the Sun.

Q18. Name the star at the centre of our solar system.

Ans. The Sun is at the centre of our solar system.

Q19. Define a planet.

Ans. A planet is a large celestial body that revolves around a star and does not have its own light.

Q20. How many planets are there in our solar system according to NCERT Class 8?

Ans. There are eight planets in our solar system.

Q21. Write the names of the eight planets in order from the Sun.

Ans. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Q22. What are inner planets?

Ans. Inner planets are the four planets closest to the Sun – Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars.

Q23. Name the outer planets.

Ans. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are outer planets.

Q24. Which planet is known as the “Red Planet”?

Ans. Mars is called the Red Planet.

Q25. Which is the largest planet in our solar system?

Ans. Jupiter is the largest planet.

Q26. Which planet is known for its beautiful rings?

Ans. Saturn is famous for its rings.

Topic 4

Earth, Moon and Phases of the Moon

Q27. Why is Earth called a unique planet?

Ans. Because the Earth has air, water and suitable temperature, making life possible.

Q28. What is a satellite?

Ans. A satellite is a body that revolves around a planet.

Q29. Name the natural satellite of the Earth.

Ans. The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite.

Q30. Does the Moon have its own light?

Ans. No, the Moon has no light of its own; it reflects the Sun’s light.

Q31. What are phases of the Moon?

Ans. The phases of the Moon are different shapes of the Moon’s bright part as seen from Earth.

Q32. What is a New Moon?

Ans. On New Moon day, the Moon is not visible as its dark side faces the Earth.

Q33. What is a Full Moon?

Ans. On Full Moon day, the whole bright face of the Moon is visible from Earth.

Q34. Approximately how many days does the Moon take to complete one revolution around the Earth?

Ans. About 27.3 days.

Topic 5

Asteroids, Comets, Meteors and Meteorites

Q35. What are asteroids?

Ans. Asteroids are small rocky bodies orbiting the Sun, mainly between Mars and Jupiter.

Q36. Where is the asteroid belt located?

Ans. The asteroid belt lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Q37. What is a comet?

Ans. A comet is an icy body that orbits the Sun in a long path and shows a bright head and tail when near the Sun.

Q38. In which direction does a comet’s tail always point?

Ans. A comet’s tail always points away from the Sun.

Q39. What is a meteor?

Ans. A meteor is a small stone-like object that burns on entering Earth’s atmosphere, seen as a shooting star.

Q40. What is a meteorite?

Ans. A meteorite is the part of a meteor that survives burning and reaches the Earth’s surface.

Q41. Why are meteors called shooting stars?

Ans. Because they look like bright streaks of light moving quickly across the sky, though they are not real stars.

Q42. Can meteors be seen every day?

Ans. Meteors are common but appear only for a very short time, so we may not notice them every day.

Topic 6

Artificial Satellites and Uses

Q43. What is an artificial satellite?

Ans. An artificial satellite is a man-made object placed in orbit around the Earth or another planet.

Q44. Give any two uses of artificial satellites.

Ans. They are used for communication and weather forecasting.

Q45. What is remote sensing?

Ans. Remote sensing is collecting information about the Earth’s surface from satellites without direct contact.

Q46. Name any one Indian artificial satellite.

Ans. INSAT (or any other Indian satellite name taught by your teacher).

Q47. How do communication satellites help us?

Ans. They help in transmitting TV, telephone and internet signals over long distances.

Q48. Which type of satellite is useful to warn about cyclones?

Ans. Weather satellites are useful to warn about cyclones.

Q49. What is the difference between natural and artificial satellites (very short)?

Ans. Natural satellites are made by nature (e.g. Moon), whereas artificial satellites are man-made.

Q50. Why are artificial satellites important for a country?

Ans. They are important for communication, defence, weather study and resource mapping, helping national development.

Conclusion

These 50 topic-wise Very Short Answer Questions from Chapter 17 – Stars and the Solar System cover key NCERT concepts such as celestial objects, constellations, solar system, planets, Moon, asteroids, comets, meteors and artificial satellites. Regular practice of these short questions will help Class 8 students revise quickly and score better in CBSE school examinations.