The Universe

A collection of billions of stars is usually known as
1. a galaxy
2. a meteor
3. a universe
4. a constellation
A galaxy can typically hold
1. 200 billion stars
2. a few hundred stars
3. one star
4. 2 million stars
Which of the following shapes typically describes a galaxy?
1. Elliptical or spiral
2. Spherical
3. Conical or spiral
4. Oval or spherical
Approximately how long does it take the Milky Way to make one complete rotation?
1. 250 million years
2. 250 years
3. 250 thousand years
4. 1 year
Its impossible to count the number of stars in the Milky Way because
1. they are obscured by dust
2. we don't have a calculator powerful enough to calculate this number
3. it keeps moving
4. they are constanly exploding
The Milky Way is
1. a galaxy
2. a star
3. a planet
4. a constellation
The closest spiral galaxy to earth is
1. Andromeda
2. Ursa Major
3. Whirlpool
4. Milky Way
Which galaxy does earth belong to?
1. Milky Way
2. Andromeda
3. Ursa Minor
4. Triangulum
All stars are the same size
1. FALSE
2. TRUE
Stars that are called red giants are coloured
1. orange
2. red
3. yellow
4. white
Supergiant stars are hotter than red giant stars
1. TRUE
2. FALSE
What colour do supergiant stars appear in the night?
1. Blue
2. Red
3. Yellow
4. Orange
Who was the first to suggest that the earth orbited around the sun?
1. Copernicus
2. Ptolemy
3. Newton
4. Galileo
Which of these planets is closest to the sun?
1. Mercury
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Neptune
Pluto is no longer regarded as a planet. It is now called
1. a planetoid
2. a plutenoid
3. a plutoid
4. a satellite
Which of these planets is furthest from the sun?
1. Neptune
2. Saturn
3. Uranus
4. Mercury
A planet’s natural satellite is known as
1. a moon
2. a satellite
3. an asteroid
4. a galaxy
Which one of the following planets has the most moons (more than sixty three)?
1. Jupiter
2. Neptune
3. Earth
4. Venus
Which one of the following planets has no moons?
1. Mercury
2. Mars
3. Saturn
4. Uranus
Titan is a moon orbiting around
1. Saturn
2. Venus
3. Earth
4. Mars
At present, the only known body (apart from Earth) to have active volcanoes is
1. the moon Io which orbits Jupiter
2. the moon Titan which orbits Saturn
3. Mars
4. Neptune
Giant rocks that orbit the Sun and are too small to be called planets are known as
1. asteroids
2. comets
3. meteors
4. moons
Which one of the following statements is incorrect?
1. The smallest known asteroid is called Ceres.
2. The smallest asteroids are only 1 km wide.
3. Asteroids are leftover rocks from the formation of our solar system.
4. 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?
1. An asteroid
2. A moon
3. A comet
4. Cosmic rays
Small bodies made from dust and ice, which orbit the Sun are known as
1. comets
2. asteroids
3. moons
4. galaxies
The dust tails of comets
1. point away from the sun
2. are only a few metres long
3. are made of ice
4. are magnetic
Rocks that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving trails behind them are known as
1. meteors
2. asteroids
3. comets
4. cosmic rays
Shooting stars that land on earth are known as
1. meteorites
2. meteors
3. comets
4. asteroids
Micrometeorite dust lands on Earth every day. Where would be a good place to search for them?
1. Under a drain spout
2. At the bottom of a garden
3. In pools of water
4. 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
1. black hole
2. super galaxy
3. giant constellation
4. a star
Black holes are
1. the remains of giant stars that have collapsed
2. the remains of rocks that burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere
3. the remains of a collapsed star that spins rapidly, firing out radiation from its ends.
4. giant sinkholes found on some planets
A collapsed star that spins rapidly, firing out radiation from its ends is known as
1. a neutron star
2. a shooting star
3. a supernova
4. a white dwarf
A group of stars that make an imaginary shape in the night sky is known as
1. a constellation
2. an asteroid
3. a supernova
4. a galaxy
Which one of the following is a name of a constellation?
1. Ursa Major
2. Pluto
3. Milky Way
4. Andromeda
Which one of the following statements is correct?
1. A galaxy contains more stars than a constellation.
2. All galaxies are visible to the naked eye.
3. Stars in a galaxy are arranged in the shape of animals or human beings.
4. A galaxy does not contain any stars.
Which one of the following is not the name of a constellation?
1. Cosmos
2. Scorpio
3. Sagittarius
4. 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?
1. Galileo
2. Copernicus
3. Newton
4. 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?
1. 60 cm
2. 2 metres
3. 20 cm
4. 2 cm
The North Star is also known as
1. Polaris
2. The Plough
3. Ursa Major
4. Cassiopeia
Which one of the following is not part of the Orion constellation?
1. Merak
2. Betelgeuse
3. Rigel
4. Orion's belt

The Universe

Multiple Choice Quiz