Solar System - Science Olympiad Exam 2026 Questions and Answers
It lacks an atmosphere (to burn up meteorites), and has no water (which would erode craters
over time) Why is Mercury so heavily cratered?
Mercury's Hollows Mysterious features at the bottom o the Tyagaraja crater
MESSENGER What spacecraft observed the ridges and troughs on Mercury?
Craters were filled with volcanic deposits, then the deposits cooled and contracted How
were the ridges and troughs on Mercury formed?
Mercury's geological historical periods Pre-Tolstojan, Tolstojan, Calorian, Mansurian, and
Kuiperian
Pre-Tolstojan What period was the Sobkou Planitia formed?
Degas and Bronte (craters) What are the two most prominent features in the Sobkou Planitia?
Heemskerck Rupes A scarp which borders the Sobkou Planitia
Debris from Caloris Basin's impact flew away and melted (filling in imperfections) What is one
explanation for why the Susei Planitia is so smooth?
Tir Planitia The largest basin on Mercury
A ridge What is the Antoniadi Dorsum on Mercury?
,A radial set of troughs (in the middle of Caloris Basin on Mercury) What are the Pantheon
Fossae?
Apollodrous What is the crater in the center of the Pantheon Fossae named?
Lunar maria What feature on the moon is Borealis Planitia (on Mercury) thought to be similar
to?
A large volcanic dome What's in the center of Odin Planitia?
Alpha Regio What is the oldest part of Venus?
Rhea Mons and Theia Mons What two volcanoes are in Beta Regio?
(Unknown geological) forces folded the crust into valleys and hills How was Alpha Regio
formed?
11 km (the tallest place on Venus) How high is Maxwell Montes?
Venus What planet is Volcano Sapas Mons located?
How did the terrestrial planets form? In the proto-Solar-Sytem, after the sun formed, the
rest of the materials orbiting close around it began to clump together too. However, closer to
the sun, lighter materials like gases blew away and only rocky material was left, causing the four
terrestrial planets, and some of their moons, to form.
, What are the characteristics of Terrestrial Planets? Solid bodies with a core surrounded by a
mantle and crust. Comprised mostly of heavier materials, like rocks, stones, and heavy metals
like nickel and iron. They are smaller in size than the gas giants and very dense in comparison.
How old is the Solar System? 4.6 billion years.
How did Mercury form? Like the rest of the terrestrial planets, Mercury was formed 4.55
billion years ago and is primarily rocky. After the sun's formation, the rocks and metals very
close it it began to come together to form Mercury. However, all of Mercury's gases and
atmosphere were blown away, leading to it being small, but even more rocky than the other
planets.
How did Venus form? Venus, like Mercury, was formed by rocks and metals coming together to
form a large planet. However, solar winds are too weak to blow away Venus' atmosphere, and
the heat has led to a greenhouse gas effect, causing the planet to be especially hot, even more
so than Mercury, though being further away.
How did Earth form? Earth formed in the same way as the rest of the terrestrial planets.
However, another large body slammed into Earth (which used to be larger) and the material
from that body and the chunk of Earth blown off formed the moon, which is why is has such a
large size in comparison to Earth.
How did Mars form? Mars was most likely very similar to Earth, and it had formed the same
way as well. It possibly even had large oceans. However, for unknown reasons, they have dried
up, leading to Mars' nickname as "The Red Planet."
How did the Moon form? Long ago, when the Earth was younger, and larger, another body
slammed into it. This body blew into pieces that began to orbit the Earth, along with chunks of
Earth blown off from the impact. Together, these formed the Moon, being responsible for its
relatively large size.
It lacks an atmosphere (to burn up meteorites), and has no water (which would erode craters
over time) Why is Mercury so heavily cratered?
Mercury's Hollows Mysterious features at the bottom o the Tyagaraja crater
MESSENGER What spacecraft observed the ridges and troughs on Mercury?
Craters were filled with volcanic deposits, then the deposits cooled and contracted How
were the ridges and troughs on Mercury formed?
Mercury's geological historical periods Pre-Tolstojan, Tolstojan, Calorian, Mansurian, and
Kuiperian
Pre-Tolstojan What period was the Sobkou Planitia formed?
Degas and Bronte (craters) What are the two most prominent features in the Sobkou Planitia?
Heemskerck Rupes A scarp which borders the Sobkou Planitia
Debris from Caloris Basin's impact flew away and melted (filling in imperfections) What is one
explanation for why the Susei Planitia is so smooth?
Tir Planitia The largest basin on Mercury
A ridge What is the Antoniadi Dorsum on Mercury?
,A radial set of troughs (in the middle of Caloris Basin on Mercury) What are the Pantheon
Fossae?
Apollodrous What is the crater in the center of the Pantheon Fossae named?
Lunar maria What feature on the moon is Borealis Planitia (on Mercury) thought to be similar
to?
A large volcanic dome What's in the center of Odin Planitia?
Alpha Regio What is the oldest part of Venus?
Rhea Mons and Theia Mons What two volcanoes are in Beta Regio?
(Unknown geological) forces folded the crust into valleys and hills How was Alpha Regio
formed?
11 km (the tallest place on Venus) How high is Maxwell Montes?
Venus What planet is Volcano Sapas Mons located?
How did the terrestrial planets form? In the proto-Solar-Sytem, after the sun formed, the
rest of the materials orbiting close around it began to clump together too. However, closer to
the sun, lighter materials like gases blew away and only rocky material was left, causing the four
terrestrial planets, and some of their moons, to form.
, What are the characteristics of Terrestrial Planets? Solid bodies with a core surrounded by a
mantle and crust. Comprised mostly of heavier materials, like rocks, stones, and heavy metals
like nickel and iron. They are smaller in size than the gas giants and very dense in comparison.
How old is the Solar System? 4.6 billion years.
How did Mercury form? Like the rest of the terrestrial planets, Mercury was formed 4.55
billion years ago and is primarily rocky. After the sun's formation, the rocks and metals very
close it it began to come together to form Mercury. However, all of Mercury's gases and
atmosphere were blown away, leading to it being small, but even more rocky than the other
planets.
How did Venus form? Venus, like Mercury, was formed by rocks and metals coming together to
form a large planet. However, solar winds are too weak to blow away Venus' atmosphere, and
the heat has led to a greenhouse gas effect, causing the planet to be especially hot, even more
so than Mercury, though being further away.
How did Earth form? Earth formed in the same way as the rest of the terrestrial planets.
However, another large body slammed into Earth (which used to be larger) and the material
from that body and the chunk of Earth blown off formed the moon, which is why is has such a
large size in comparison to Earth.
How did Mars form? Mars was most likely very similar to Earth, and it had formed the same
way as well. It possibly even had large oceans. However, for unknown reasons, they have dried
up, leading to Mars' nickname as "The Red Planet."
How did the Moon form? Long ago, when the Earth was younger, and larger, another body
slammed into it. This body blew into pieces that began to orbit the Earth, along with chunks of
Earth blown off from the impact. Together, these formed the Moon, being responsible for its
relatively large size.
