RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Solutions in English — Beyond Earth

RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Question Answer Beyond Earth

By tackling theseRBSE Class 6 Science Solutionsand RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Beyond Earth Question Answer in English Medium, students will build a solid foundation in the topic.

Beyond Earth Class 6 Questions and Answers

RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Beyond Earth Question Answer

Beyond Earth Class 6 Question Answer – InText

Page 238

Question 1.
Which star is closest to us?
Answer:
Sun is the star closest to us.

RBSE Class 6th Science Chapter 12 Question Answer – Exercise

Let us enhance our learning

Question 1.
Match the column :

Answer:

Question 2.
(i) Solve the following riddle.
My first alphabet is in MAN but not in CAN
My second alphabet is in ACE and also in FAN
My third alphabet is in RAT and not in CAT My fourth alphabet is in SUN but not in FUN I am a planet that moves around the Sun.
(ii) Make two similar riddles by yourself.
Answer:
(i) First alphabet—M, Second alphabet— A, Third alphabet-R, Fourth alphabet – S
Therefore the ansyver is MARS.

(ii) (a) My first alphabet is in VAN but not in PAN –
My second alphabet is in EARTH and also in HEAVEN
My third alphabet is in ONE and not in TWO My fourth alphabet is in SUN and also in FUN My last alphabet is in STAR but not in RADAR I am a planet that moves around the Sun. Ansyver is VENUS.

(b) My first alphabet is in MAN but not in CAN My second alphabet is in ROSE and also in BOAT My third alphabet is in OIL and not in LIME My fourth alphabet is in SUN but not in SON Answer is MOON.

Question 3.
Which of the following is not a member of our Solar System?
(i) Sirius
(ii) Comets
(iii) Asteroids
(iv) Pluto
Answer:
(i) Sirius

Question 4.
Which of the following is not a planet of the Sun?
(i) Jupiter
(ii) Pluto
(iii) Neptune
(iv) Saturn
Answer:
(ii) Pluto

Question 5.
Which is the brighter star, the Pole Star or Sirius?
Answer:
Sirius is the brighter star in comparison to the Pole Star.

Question 6.
An artist’s representation of the Solar System is given in Fig. Is the order of the planets correct? If not, write the correct order in the boxes in the figure.

Answer:
The correct order from the Sun is : Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
Correct order-1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8.

Question 7.
A portion of night sky with stars is shown in Fig. Look carefully and identify the groups of stars that form the patterns—the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. Draw lines to connect the stars for these patterns and label them. Also, identify and label the Pole Star. You may refer to Fig. for help.

Answer:

Question 8.
A portion of the night sky is shown in Fig. Draw lines to connect the stars for Orion and label the star Sirius. You may refer to Fig.

Answer:

Question 9.
You can see stars fading away at dawn and appearing at dusk. During the day we do not see the stars. Explain, why?
Answer:
During the day, it is not possible to see other stars because of the brightness of the Sun. The sunlight is scattered due to the atmosphere, which makes a sky visible blue, which hides the faint glow of the stars.

Question 10.
During a clear night, try to observe the Big Dipper 3-4 times at an interval of 2 to 3 hours. Also try to locate the Pole Star each time. Does the Big Dipper appear to move? Draw a rough sketch to illustrate this, mentioning the time in each case.
Answer:
The Big Dipper appears to move around the Pole Star due to the rotation of the Earth. At some intervals, its position changes, which makes it appear that it is moving around the Pole Star.

RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Important Questions

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The brightest star in the night sky is—
(a) Pole Star
(b) Orion
(c) Sirius
(d) Taurus
Answer:
(c) Sirius

2. The entire sky has been divided into how manv constellation regions—
(a) 78
(b) 18
(c) 36
(d) 88
Answer:
(d) 88

3. Which star is known as Saptarishi in India?
(a) Big Dipper
(b) Little Dipper
(c) Aldebaran
(d) Pleiades
Answer:
(a) Big Dipper

4. The Pole Star is a part of which constellation?
(a) Big Dipper
(b) Little Dipper
(c) Orion
(d) Pleiades
Answer:
(b) Little Dipper

5. Which of the following is not an inner planet?
(a) Venus
(b) Earth
(c) Saturn
(d) Mars
Answer:
(c) Saturn

6. Is called ‘Dwarf Planet’—
(a) Venus
(b) Mercury
(c) Uranus
(d) Pluto
Answer:
(d) Pluto

7. How many moons does Mars have—
(a) One
(b) Two
(c) Three
(d) Many
Answer:
(b) Two

8. How many days does the Moon take to complete one revolution around the Earth—
(a) 27
(b) 24
(c) 30
(d) 26
Answer:
(a) 27

9. How many missions has India completed for the study of the Moon—
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 3
(d) 4
Answer:
(c) 3

10. When is National Space Day celebrated-
(a) 28 September
(b) 23 August
(c) 14 November
(d) 16 July
Answer:
(b) 23 August

Fill in the blanks

1. The night sky i best viewed from …………………….. and …………………….. areas.
Answer:
open, dark

2. The Sun is about …………………….. times bigger than the Earth in diameter.
Answer:
100

3. The movement of an object around the Sun is called …………………….. .
Answer:
revolution

4. …………………….. are natural satellites of planets.
Answer:
Moons

5. The Sun is a star which produces …………………….. and …………………….. .
Answer:
heat, light

6. Our Solar System is part of the …………………….. Galaxy.
Answer:
Milky Way

True/False

1. The constellation Orion is often depicted as a hunter. (True/False)
Answer:
True

2. Light pollution is decreasing globally. (True/False)
Answer:
False

3. While revolving around the Sun, the Earth is also rotating about its axis. (True/False)
Answer:
True

4. The sizes of asteroids are from 10 m to about 500 km. (True/False)
Answer:
True

Match the words given in Column-I with Column-II

Answer:

Question 2.

Answer:

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is the importance of the Pole Star?
Answer:
The Pole Star appears stationary in the north direction, with the help of which the north direction can be identified in the Northern Hemisphere.

Question 2.
The diameter of the Sun is about 100 times larger than that of the Earth, yet why does it appear so small to us?
Answer:
Because it is at a very great distance from the Earth.

Question 3.
Which is the closest star to us after the Sun?
Answer:
The star nearest to us after the Sun is Proxima Centauri which lies at a distance of about 269000 au. This means that its distance is about 269000 times our distance to the Sun.

Question 4.
What is called a ‘planet’?
Answer:
A planet is a large, nearly spherical object that revolves around the Sun.

Question 5.
From where do planets get their energy?
Answer:
Planets get most of their energy from the Sun.

Question 6.
Which planet is the easiest to identify and why?
Answer:
Venus is the easiest planet to identify because it is very bright.

Question 7.
Which planets can be seen without the help of any optical instrument?
Answer:
Venus, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be seen.

Question 8.
Planets also look like shining points like stars, then how can we differentiate between planets and stars?
Answer:
Unlike planets, stars appear more twinkling.

Question 9.
How far is the moon from the earth?
Answer:
The moon is about 3,84,000 kilometers from the earth.

Question 10.
What do you know about Halley’s Comet?
Answer:
Halley’s Comet is a famous comet which appears after every 76 years. It was last seen in 1986.

Question 11.
What is beyond the Milky Way galaxy?
Answer:
There are many galaxies in outer space beyond our galaxy.

Question 12.
What is the best time to see the Saptarishi?
Answer:
To see Saptarishi, one should observe the sky at around 9 pm during summer.

Question 13.
By whose light do the stars shine?
Answer:
Stars shine by their own light.

Question 14.
When can Orion be seen best in India?
Answer:
In India, Orion can be seen best in the months of December to April after sunset.

Question 15.
How big is the moon in comparison to the earth?
Answer:
The diameter of the moon is about one- fourth of the diameter of the earth.

Question 16.
What do the different tribes of India call comet?
Answer:
Various tribes in India also call it Pucchya- Taro (star with a tail) or Zendya- Taro (star like a flag).

Question 17.
What is called ‘Solar System’?
Answer:
The Sun, eight planets, their moons, and many smaller objects including asteroids and comets, together form the Solar System.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is nakshatral Explain.
Answer:
In Indian astronomy, the term nakshatra is used to denote either a certain star or a group of stars, such as Ardra (a star called Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation) and Krittika (a group of stars called Pleiades in the Taurus constellation). Aldebaran, a star in the constellation Taurus, is known as Rohini

Question 2.
What do you mean by Big Dipper and Little Dipper?
Answer:
The Big Dipper lies in the constellation Ursa Major while the Little Dipper lies in the constellation Ursa Minor. In India, the Big Dipper is known as Saptarishi, and the Pole Star is known as Dhruva tara.

Question 3.
What are the stories of Indian tribal and forest dwellers about the stars in constellations?
Answer:
Apart from common regional stories associated with stars in the constellations, many forest dwelling communities or tribes of India also have their own stories about them. For example, the four stars in the Big Dipper that approximately form a rectangle, are viewed by tribes in Central India as the “grandmother’s cot” with the three thieves (other three stars) stealing it. Fishermen along the Konkan coast imagine the four stars as a boat, with the last three stars as the neck of the boat.

Question 4.
Can we try to find a constellation or star of our choice from the place where we are?
Answer:
Not all stars and constellations are visible from all places on Earth and on all nights in a year.

For example, the Pole Star is not visible from the southern hemisphere of Earth. To identify a star or a constellation, you need to know how a particular constellation looks like and where to look for it in the night sky.

Question 5.
What will you do to know in which part of the sky and when a constellation will be visible according to your position?
Answer:
For this we can take the help of sky mapping apps which can be downloaded on mobile phones or we can also use any other online resource. Sky Map and Stellarium are similar apps which can be downloaded for free.

Question 6.
What is Astronomical Unit (au)?
Answer:
The distance of the Sun from the Earth is about 15 0 million km. A useful unit for expressing distances within the solar system is ‘astronomical unit’ (au) which is approximately the distance between the Sun and the Earth.

Question 7.
How is it that the Sun appears big to us while other stars appear like bright points in the night sky and they are not even visible during the day?
Answer:
The Sun is much closer to us than the other stars hence it appears much bigger than the stars. As the stars (other than the Sun) are much farther aw ay, they appear like points, even though some of those stars are much bigger than our Sun. During daytime, due to the extreme brightness of the Sun, it is not possible to view the other stars.

Question 8.
What do you mean by a day of the Earth?
Answer:
While revolving around the Sun, the Earth is also rotating about its axis. For one full rotation, the Earth takes about 24 hours which is called a day.

Question 9.
How can we see the planets which are not visible to the naked eye?
Answer:
While many of the objects in the sky can be seen w ith our naked eyes directly, we can see them brighter and larger using a pair of binoculars or an instrument called a telescope. A telescope also helps us view many dim objects not visible by our naked eyes directly.

Question 10.
What are natural satellites? Explain.
Answer:
Objects that move around planets are commonly called satellites. They are smaller in size than planets. Moons are natural satellites of planets. The Earth has one Moon, while Mars has two moons. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune have a large number of moons.

Question 11.
What do you mean by Asteroids and asteroid belt?
Answer:
Asteroids—There are many small objects in the Solar System which are rocky and irregular in shape. These are called asteroids.

Asteroid belt—Many of these asteroids revolve around the Sun in paths that lie between those of Mars and Jupiter. This region is called the asteroid belt.

Question 12.
Is there life anywhere else in the Universe?
Answer:
We do not know yet if life exists elsewhere in the Universe. The search for life has been directed mostly towards exoplanets—the planets discovered revolving around other stars in our galaxy. Till now, scientists have not found any evidence of life but this search is on and continuing.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Do we find patterns among the stars just for fun or is there some use of these patterns?
Answer:
Long ago, when watching stars in the night sky was a favourite pastime of our ancestors, they identified these star patterns with animals, things or characters in stories. Many cultures had names for patterns based on their own stories. These imaginary shapes helped them in recognising stars in the sky.

Recognising stars and their patterns was a useful skill for navigation in the olden times. Before the arrival of modem technology or even before the invention of the magnetic compass, it helped people, particularly sailors and travellers, in finding directions at sea or on land. It is still used in emergencies as a backup method.

Question 2.
What are constellations? How are the constellation boundaries set?
Answer:
In earlier times, groups of stars forming patterns were called constellations. Currently, the regions of sky, which include these groups of stars, are defined as constellations. However, since in constellations, the patterns of stars are often the most prominent, the term constellation is still commonly used for these groups of stars. Since different cultures denoted the constellation boundaries in different ways, an internationally agreed set of constellation boundaries were defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in the early 20th century. 88 constellations were officially listed, thus, dividing the entire sky into 88 regions. These regions of sky are now defined as constellations.

Question 3.
Describe the constellation ‘Orion’.
Answer:
The constellation Orion is often represented as a hunter. There are three stars in the middle, which represent the belt of the hunter. Some people imagine that the hunter Orion, followed by his dog (constellation Canis Major), is battling a bull (constellation Taurus).

Question 4.
What is light pollution? How does it effects the night sky watching?
Answer:
The presence of excessive artificial light at night time is referred to as light pollution. Effect—Light pollution is growing sharply globally. This is reducing our ability to enjoy and study objects in the night sky. Some dark sky reserves and parks have been established around the world. Light pollution in the reserves is controlled to preserve dark skies for research. There are a few organisations which are working to educate people about reducing light pollution.

Question 5.
In most ancient civilizations why the Sun is given the status of a deity?
Answer:
The Sun, being the brightest object and the source of light and heat on Earth, was elevated in most ancient civilizations to the status of a deity.

In India, the Sun is worshipped as Surya. The heat provided by the Sun keeps the Earth at a temperature that makes life possible. Sunlight is essential for plants to grow, which provide food and oxygen to animals, including humans. The Sun is responsible for climate, seasons, weather, water cycle, winds—all of which are important for sustaining life on the Earth.

Question 6.
What do you mean by inner and outer planets? Explain.
Answer:
The eight planets, in order of their increasing distance from the Sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars. Jupiter. Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

Inner planets—The inner four planets nearest to the Sun are called inner planets. The inner planets are Mercury. Venus, Earth and Mars. These are smaller in size. They have solid surfaces with rocks on them.

Outer planets—The four outermost planets are caller outer planets. These are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. These planets are much larger compared to the Earth, and are mostly made of gases. These giant gaseous planets have large flat ring-like structures around them which are made of dust particles and rocky material.

Question 7.
Why Venus is hotter than Mercury, although it is farther from the Sun?
Answer:
Planets get most of their energy from the Sun. So, the farther they are. the colder they are in general. The presence of an atmosphere on a planet can trap heat which can significantly change the temperature of a planet. That is why Venus, for example, is hotter than Mercury, although it is farther from the Sun.

Question 8.
What are Dwarf Planet? Explain.
Answer:
Pluto that lies farther than Neptune, and revolves around the Sun. It is smaller than the Earth’s Moon. When it was discovered, it was called a planet of the Solar System. But later, when similar more small objects were discovered, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2006 redefined the requirements of an object to be called a planet. As per this definition, these smaller objects, including Pluto, are now called dwarf planets.

Question 9.
Write a note on Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle.
Answer:
Indian Astronomical Observatory, Hanle, is situated atop the highest peak of Digpa-Rasta-Ri mountain range in Hanle. This peak has been renamed Mount Saraswati. It has several telescopes. One of them is called the Himalayan Chandra Telescope, which has been named after the Nobel Prize winning scientist Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. It is an observatory at one of the highest locations in the world. The area surrounding this observatory was notified as the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve (HDSR) in December 2022. The reserve is open to the public throughout the year. Local people have been provided with small telescopes and are trained to be Astronomy Ambassadors for visitors by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is expected to promote astrotourism in the region.

Essay Type Questions

Question 1.
Write a short note on the following :
(i) Sun (ii) Morning Star (iii) Red Planet (iv) Blue Planet
Answer:
(i) Sun—The Sun is a star. It is the star closest to us. It is an extremely hot spherical ball of gases. The Sun gives out a huge amount of energy, and that is why it glows so brightly. The Sun produces heat and light, and is the main source of energy on the Earth.

(ii) Morning Star—Venus is usually seen shining brightly at dawn and dusk, and is commonly called the Morning Star or the Evening Star, even though it is not a star.

(iii) Red Planet—Mars is called the Red Planet because it appears red. This is because the soil on Mars is reddish in colour.

(iv) Blue Planet—A large portion of the Earth’s surface is covered with water and thus, it appears blue from the space. Due to this, the Earth is also called the Blue Planet.

Question 2.
Write a note on : (i) Moon (ii) Comet
Answer:
(i) Moon—It is the Earth’s natural satellite. It is our nearest neighbour in the space. Unlike on the Earth, there is hardly any atmosphere on the Moon. The Moon is about a quarter the size of the Earth ih diameter. The Moon’s surface shows circular bowl-like structures called craters. Most of these craters have been formed due to the impact of asteroids or rocks from the space hitting the Moon’s surface. Moon takes about 27 days to complete one revolution around the Earth.

(ii) Comet—Sometimes we have visitors from the outer regions of the Solar System! These objects with long tails are called comets. They are made up of dust, gases, rocks and ice. As a comet approaches close to the Sun, the frozen material in it starts evaporating. This evaporating material forms the tail of the comet. Comets appear dim as they move away from the Sun and then, it is not possible to see them with the naked eye.

Question 3.
Explain the Chandrayaan mission of India.
Answer:
To improve our understanding of the Moon, India’s first mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan- 1, was launched in 2008 and the second mission, Chandrayaan-2, in 2019. The third mission, Chandrayaan-3, was launched in July 2023 and its Vikram lander carrying the Pragyan rover successfully soft-landed on the Moon on August 23, 2023. With this mission, India became the first country in the world to achieve a landing near the little explored Moon’s south pole. To mark this success, the Government of India declared August 23 to be celebrated as ‘National Space Day’ in India. A fourth mission, Chandrayaan-4, is being planned which aims to bring back soil and rock samples from the Moon.

RBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Notes

Class 6 Science Chapter 12 Notes RBSE – Beyond Earth Class 6 Notes

1. Those parts of the sky in which groups of stars are found are called constellations.
2. In Indian astronomy, the tenn nakshatra is used to denote either a certain star or a group of stars.
3. The Pole Star appears stationary in the North direction, which helps to locate the North direction in the Northern hemisphere.
4. The night sky is best viewed from open dark areas.
5. The Sun is our nearest star. The Sun produces heat and light, and is the main source of energy on the Earth.
6. A planet is a large, nearly spherical object that revolves around the Sun.
7. The eight planets, in order of their increasing distance from the Sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
8. Venus is called the Morning Star or the Evening Star. Mars is called the Red Planet, Earth is also called the Blue Planet.
9. Objects that move around planets are commonly called satellites.
10. The Moon is Earth’s natural satellite. The Moon revolves around the Earth in nearly 27 days.
11. There are many small bodies in the solar system, which are rocky and irregular in shape, they are called asteroids.
12. The Sun, eight planets, their moons, and many smaller objects including asteroids and comets, together form the Solar System.
13. Our Solar System is part of the Milky Way Galaxy.