Try this as often as you like. You will get a different set of questions each time you attempt this quiz.
A collection of billions of stars is usually known as
a galaxy
a meteor
a universe
a constellation
A galaxy can typically hold
200 billion stars
a few hundred stars
one star
2 million stars
Which of the following shapes typically describes a galaxy?
Elliptical or spiral
Spherical
Conical or spiral
Oval or spherical
Approximately how long does it take the Milky Way to make one complete rotation?
250 million years
250 years
250 thousand years
1 year
Its impossible to count the number of stars in the Milky Way because
they are obscured by dust
we don't have a calculator powerful enough to calculate this number
it keeps moving
they are constanly exploding
The Milky Way is
a galaxy
a star
a planet
a constellation
The closest spiral galaxy to earth is
Andromeda
Ursa Major
Whirlpool
Milky Way
Which galaxy does earth belong to?
Milky Way
Andromeda
Ursa Minor
Triangulum
All stars are the same size
FALSE
TRUE
Stars that are called red giants are coloured
orange
red
yellow
white
Supergiant stars are hotter than red giant stars
TRUE
FALSE
What colour do supergiant stars appear in the night?
Blue
Red
Yellow
Orange
Who was the first to suggest that the earth orbited around the sun?
Copernicus
Ptolemy
Newton
Galileo
Which of these planets is closest to the sun?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Neptune
Pluto is no longer regarded as a planet. It is now called
a planetoid
a plutenoid
a plutoid
a satellite
Which of these planets is furthest from the sun?
Neptune
Saturn
Uranus
Mercury
A planet’s natural satellite is known as
a moon
a satellite
an asteroid
a galaxy
Which one of the following planets has the most moons (more than sixty three)?
Jupiter
Neptune
Earth
Venus
Which one of the following planets has no moons?
Mercury
Mars
Saturn
Uranus
Titan is a moon orbiting around
Saturn
Venus
Earth
Mars
At present, the only known body (apart from Earth) to have active volcanoes is
the moon Io which orbits Jupiter
the moon Titan which orbits Saturn
Mars
Neptune
Giant rocks that orbit the Sun and are too small to be called planets are known as
asteroids
comets
meteors
moons
Which one of the following statements is incorrect?
The smallest known asteroid is called Ceres.
The smallest asteroids are only 1 km wide.
Asteroids are leftover rocks from the formation of our solar system.
Most asteroids are to be found in the asteroid belt.
What struck the Earth about 65 million years ago, which probably led to the extinction of the dinosaurs?
An asteroid
A moon
A comet
Cosmic rays
Small bodies made from dust and ice, which orbit the Sun are known as
comets
asteroids
moons
galaxies
The dust tails of comets
point away from the sun
are only a few metres long
are made of ice
are magnetic
Rocks that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving trails behind them are known as
meteors
asteroids
comets
cosmic rays
Shooting stars that land on earth are known as
meteorites
meteors
comets
asteroids
Micrometeorite dust lands on Earth every day. Where would be a good place to search for them?
Under a drain spout
At the bottom of a garden
In pools of water
In the shadow of a tall building
A region of space having a gravitational field so strong that no matter or radiation can escape is known as a
black hole
super galaxy
giant constellation
a star
Black holes are
the remains of giant stars that have collapsed
the remains of rocks that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere
the remains of a collapsed star that spins rapidly, firing out radiation from its ends.
giant sinkholes found on some planets
A collapsed star that spins rapidly, firing out radiation from its ends is known as
a neutron star
a shooting star
a supernova
a white dwarf
A group of stars that make an imaginary shape in the night sky is known as
a constellation
an asteroid
a supernova
a galaxy
Which one of the following is a name of a constellation?
Ursa Major
Pluto
Milky Way
Andromeda
Which one of the following statements is correct?
A galaxy contains more stars than a constellation.
All galaxies are visible to the naked eye.
Stars in a galaxy are arranged in the shape of animals or human beings.
A galaxy does not contain any stars.
Which one of the following is not the name of a constellation?
Cosmos
Scorpio
Sagittarius
Aquarius
Hans Lippershey, a Dutch lens maker is credited with inventing the telescope. Who is the first person credited with using the telescope to look into space?
Galileo
Copernicus
Newton
Ptolemy
A group of students were asked to use two lenses to make a telescope. The lenses had focal lengths of 20 cm and 40 cm. How far apart should the lenses be?
60 cm
2 metres
20 cm
2 cm
The North Star is also known as
Polaris
The Plough
Ursa Major
Cassiopeia
Which one of the following is not part of the Orion constellation?