The 10 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which space telescope, launched in 2021, is Hubble's successor?
Possible answers:
- James Webb
- Kepler
- Spitzer
- Chandra
Explanation: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on December 25, 2021, observes the universe in infrared. It can see galaxies formed shortly after the Big Bang, much farther than Hubble.
Question 2 : Which large galaxy is the nearest neighbor to the Milky Way?
Possible answers:
- Large Magellanic Cloud
- Andromeda
- Triangulum
- Centaurus A
Explanation: The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is about 2.5 million light-years away. It is on a collision course with the Milky Way and will merge with it in about 4.5 billion years.
Question 3 : What do we call a celestial object so dense that even light cannot escape from it?
Possible answers:
- A pulsar
- A nebula
- A black hole
- A quasar
Explanation: A black hole is an object whose gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape. The first image of a black hole was captured in 2019 by the Event Horizon Telescope.
Question 4 : What is the largest known volcano in the solar system?
Possible answers:
- Mount Etna
- Mount Everest
- Mauna Kea
- Olympus Mons
Explanation: Olympus Mons, located on Mars, rises about 21 km high, nearly 2.5 times the height of Everest. It is the largest known volcano in the entire solar system.
Question 5 : What is the name of our galaxy?
Possible answers:
- The Milky Way
- Andromeda
- The Great Cloud
- Centaurus
Explanation: The Milky Way is our spiral galaxy, containing between 200 and 400 billion stars.
Question 6 : Who was the first man to walk on the Moon?
Possible answers:
- Buzz Aldrin
- Neil Armstrong
- John Glenn
- Yuri Gagarin
Explanation: Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon on July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission, saying the famous phrase: "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
Question 7 : Which planet is nicknamed "the ringed planet"?
Possible answers:
- Jupiter
- Uranus
- Saturn
- Neptune
Explanation: Saturn is famous for its spectacular rings made of ice and rock.
Question 8 : What do you call a star that explodes at the end of its life?
Possible answers:
- Nova
- Pulsar
- White dwarf
- Supernova
Explanation: A supernova is the cataclysmic explosion of a massive star at the end of its life.
Question 9 : Which American space agency sent man to the Moon?
Possible answers:
- NASA
- SpaceX
- ESA
- Boeing
Explanation: NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) carried out the Apollo missions.
Question 10 : How long does it take for sunlight to reach Earth?
Possible answers:
- 1 second
- 1 minute
- 1 hour
- 8 minutes
Explanation: Light travels the 150 million km between the Sun and Earth in about 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
