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About This Quiz
How well do you know the objects that make up our solar system and the history of space exploration? Take this quiz to find out just how much you really know!
What is a meteor shower?
Many meteorites falling at once
A meteor shower is when many meteorites fall from the same point in the sky. The meteorites are usually debris from comets that have passed.
The creation of meteors
Meteors and asteroids colliding
Meteors falling into bodies of water
Which planet is the only one that is known to currently sustain life?
Uranus
Earth
So far, Earth is the only planet known to sustain life. Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only planet in our solar system not named after a god.
Mercury
Neptune
What destroys asteroids and meteorites when they enter its area?
Stars
The atmosphere
The atmosphere can and does destroy many asteroids and meteorites that try to pass through it, although some are large enough to make it to the Earth.
Galaxies
Pluto
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Which planet is often called the "Red Planet"?
Earth
Venus
Saturn
Mars
Mars is called the Red Planet because of its reddish appearance. Officially, it was named after the Roman god of war.
Which planet is the largest in the solar system?
Jupiter
Jupiter also has a moon called Ganymede that is the largest moon in the solar system. Like Saturn, Jupiter has rings, but they are not as defined.
Earth
Mars
Venus
Who was the first person to walk on the moon?
Marc Garneau
Yelena Kondakova
Neil Armstrong
On the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. Since then 11 other people have walked on the moon, all of them American men.
Richard Mullane
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Which planet in our solar system is closest to the Sun?
Jupiter
Mercury
Somewhat surprisingly, Mercury is only the second hottest planet, despite being closest in proximity to the Sun.
Earth
Venus
What is made out of ice, dust, rock and frozen gases?
Planets
Comets
Comets also have two tails, one made from dust and the other made from plasma.
The Sun
The Moon
What is in the asteroid belt?
Comets
The Moon
The Sun
Asteroids
Asteroids form the Asteroid Belt in our solar system. The Asteroid Belt is 1 astronomical unit thick and hangs out between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars.
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Which comet's orbit brings it close to Earth every 75 years?
Comet Swift-Tuttle
Halley's Comet
Halley's Comet was first observed in 239 B.C., and it is expected to pass the Earth again in 2061.
Comet Hyakutake
Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9
What is the Sun?
A star
The Sun is classified as the only star in our solar system, but many other solar systems are known to have two stars.
A planet
A comet
An asteroid
What is the largest object in our solar system?
The Sun
The Sun is the largest object in our solar system. It is currently in its "Main Sequence" phase and will transition into its "Red Giant" phase in a few billion years. It will become even larger in this phase.
The Moon
Mercury
Earth
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What was named after the astronomer Jan Oort?
The Oort Cloud
The Oort Cloud is located far from the Sun and contains many icy objects. It was named after Jan because he had speculated its existence.
The Kuiper Cloud
Venus
Nebulas
Which planet has visible rings that surround it?
Venus
Saturn
Saturn's rings are very visible, comparatively. Galileo was the first person attributed with observing them, although they were said to be discovered long before his time.
Jupiter
Mars
What planet did early astronomers believe to be the center of the universe?
Venus
Earth
Early astronomers believed that the Earth was the center of the universe. These astronomers did not have the advanced technology that we now use to determine how objects in the universe actually move.
Saturn
Neptune
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In which galaxy is our solar system located?
Andromeda Galaxy
The Milky Way
Our solar system is located in the Milky Way, a barred spiral galaxy that has two arms. Our solar system is located on Orion's Arm.
Triangulum Galaxy
Whirlpool Galaxy
What object in space affects the tides on Earth?
Comets
Stars
The Moon
There are two tidal bulges on the Earth's surface where the water levels change because of the gravitational pull of the Moon.
The Dwarf Planets
Which planet is the hottest in our solar system?
Mars
Uranus
Neptune
Venus
The temperature on Venus reaches up to 471 degrees Celsius. It is also the second brightest object in our solar system.
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How many minutes does it take for light from the sun to reach Earth?
58 minutes
45 minutes
20 minutes
8 minutes
The light from the sun travels at 300,000 kilometers per second.
What happens when a meteoroid, asteroid or comet hits a planet?
It bounces back into space.
The planet explodes.
The planet breaks into small pieces.
It leaves a crater.
When meteoroids, asteroids or comets crash into a planet, they usually leave behind a crater. Most planets have been hit by many of these objects throughout their existence.
Where are Pluto, Makemake and Haumea located?
The Kuiper Belt
Pluto, Makemake and Haumea are located in the Kuiper Belt. Along with these dwarf planets, the belt also has many other objects within it that are made of ice.
Beside the Sun
The Asteroid Belt
Beside the Earth's moon
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Which planet can reach the coldest temperatures?
Uranus
Even though Uranus is not the farthest planet from our sun, it reaches some of the lowest temperatures. There are several theories about why, but no one knows for certain - yet.
Venus
Mercury
Jupiter
What was the first animal to orbit the Earth?
A horse
A dog
A dog named Laika was the first animal to go into orbit around the Earth. She was a stray dog that was rescued in Russia and went into space on the Sputnik 2 mission. One of her nicknames in the American press was "Muttnik."
A raccoon
A pig
What are Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter and Neptune called?
The Large Planets
The Giant Group
The Gas Giants
They are referred to as the Gas Giants. These planets are farther away from the Sun and, although they are primarily made up of gases, they do have rocky centers.
The Far Orbiters
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Which is the largest dwarf planet in our solar system?
Ceres
Pluto
Pluto is the largest dwarf planet in our solar system, although it is smaller than many other objects found there, including some moons.
Makemake
Eris
What is a sunspot?
Dark and cool areas on the Sun
Sunspots are areas in the Sun's photosphere that are noticeably darker and cooler than other areas.
Bright patches of light
Debris from the Sun
The location of the Sun
What can happen to Venus, Mercury and Earth when the Sun enters its Red Giant phase?
They will become too hot.
They will explode.
They will be consumed by the Sun.
In its Red Giant phase, the Sun will expand and consume the three planets. If Earth happens to survive, it is likely that its orbit would change.
They will evaporate.
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How many planets are in our solar system?
Eight
There are eight planets in our solar system, because Pluto is considered a dwarf planet. There is also talk about an addition of a new planet that scientists are calling "Planet X"...but we have yet to experience a proper sighting before it becomes official.
Seven
Ten
Nine
What are Venus, Mars, Earth and Mercury called?
The Hot Planets
The Terrestrial Planets
These planets are mostly solid and made of heavy metals; as a group, they're also referred to as the Inner Planets.
The Close Planets
The Land Group
What is it called when a planet spins backwards?
Retrograde
When a planet spins backwards, it's said to be in retrograde. There are two planets in the solar system that are in retrograde motion: Uranus and Venus.
Backwards planetary motion
Tailspin
Counter-clockwise planetary spin
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What is it called when the moon moves between the Earth and the sun?
A dark night
A solar eclipse
Total solar eclipses can happen about every 1 or 2 years, and they can last up to 7.5 minutes.
A lunar eclipse
A pass-through
How many dwarf planets exist in our solar system, officially speaking?
5,000
1,000
12
5
There are only five planets that are officially classified as dwarf planets. They are Ceres, Makemake, Eris, Haumea and Pluto. Although it is likely that there are thousands more, only these five are officially classified.
Which dwarf planet is located in the Asteroid Belt?
Pluto
Eris
Ceres
Ceres is the dwarf planet located in the Asteroid Belt. It is the smallest of the dwarf planets and also the closest to the Sun.
Haumea
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Which planet has the longest day?
Jupiter
Venus
A day on Venus lasts for 243 of our days on Earth. Venus takes 224 days to complete an orbit around the sun.
Mars
Earth
You Got:
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