Understanding the Universe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Galaxy

A galaxy is a massive collection of stars, dust, gas, and invisible matter held together by gravity. These galaxies can range in size from millions to trillions of stars, forming shapes such as spiral, round (elliptical), or irregular patterns. In the universe, there are millions to trillions of galaxies.

Answer: No

Only the largest stars go through the supernova phase, in which they explode spectacularly, leaving behind a dense core. The core's fate depends on its mass - it may either become a neutron star or a black hole.

Answer: Hydrogen, Helium

Inside the protostar's core, nuclear fusion takes place, the blast blows away surrounding gas and dust, and the star now forms a T Tauri-type star. After that, it enters the main sequence period. Our Sun has been on the main sequence for about 5 billion years.

Answer: Supernova

After the supernova explosion, the core remains, and its fate depends on its mass. If it is below three solar masses, it may form a neutron star. If it is greater than that, it forms a black hole. Supernovae are the most powerful explosions in the universe.

Answer: Titan

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and is only slightly smaller than Ganymede, the biggest moon of Jupiter and the largest moon discovered. Its circumference is about 5,150 kilometers (3,200 miles), just a little smaller than Jupiter's Ganymede. This moon was discovered by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655.

Answer: A spinning neutron star that emits radio waves

A pulsar is a type of star that spins very quickly and has a strong magnetic field. As it rotates, it emits pulses of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected from Earth. These objects are born from the explosion of giant stars, known as supernovae. Pulsars are extremely dense, meaning they pack a lot of mass into a small space, and can spin at incredible speeds, completing several hundred revolutions per second.

Answer: 8 minutes and 20 seconds

Light takes 8 minutes 20 seconds to travel from the Sun to Earth because of the great distance between them and the constant speed of light. The Sun is about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away, and the light travels at 300,000 kilometers per second (186,411 miles per second), which, with the calculation of dividing distance and speed, gives you 8 minutes and 20 seconds.

Answer: Venus

Venus is often called the morning star or evening star because it's the brightest planet we can see in the sky. You can see it close to the horizon just before the sun comes up or after it goes down. It shines with a bright, steady white light because of its thick atmosphere, which reflects sunlight really well.

Answer: A star relatively near to our Sun

People often talk about which star system is nearest to our Sun. While many think it's Alpha Centauri, there's an important detail to know. Inside that system, there's a star called Proxima Centauri, and it's actually the closest single star to our Sun. Proxima Centauri is about 4.25 light-years away from us, making it the nearest star.

Answer: Mercury

Mercury has an extremely thin atmosphere, primarily composed of atomic hydrogen and helium. Notably, there are no detectable levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in its atmosphere. Due to its weak gravity and proximity to the Sun, the atmosphere cannot retain significant amounts of gas, leading to extreme temperature fluctuations on the planet's surface.