Keep Your Eyes on the Star Trivia Quiz

Answer: Neutron star

Neutron stars are very small and are highly dense. Their size can range from 10km to 30km in diameter. When a star with a mass of 1.4 solar mass to 3 solar mass explodes during a supernova explosion, the particles of the exploded star merge together, due to gravity, and a neutron star is born. Neutron stars have a very strong magnetic field.

Answer: Sirius

Sirius is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major. It is also the brightest star in the night sky. This star is roughly around 8 light years away from Earth. Sirius is a part of the 'big dog' constellation, so is known as the dog star.

Answer: False

The sun is currently in a phase known as main sequence. This is a phase where a star uses hydrogen as fuel to provide energy and light. After this stage, when hydrogen comes to an end, the outer layer of the star starts to expand and it changes into a red giant.

Answer: South

Proxima Centauri is the closest star to Earth after Sun. It is about 4.2 light years away from Earth. It is a part of a three star system with Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B. Proxima Centauri is a part of the constellation Centaurus.

Answer: Hydrogen

An active star constitutes of hydrogen and helium gas, with hydrogen as the major component. A star which is active converts hydrogen into helium for energy. As a star ages, its hydrogen ends and it starts using helium as fuel and converts it into other heavier elements.

Answer: White dwarf

Van Maanen's star was discovered by Adriaan Van Maanen in 1917. This star is about 14.4 light years away from Earth. It has a diameter of about 8400 Km. This is even less than the diameter of the Earth. It is a white dwarf star. White dwarf stars are hot and dense but are not very bright.

Answer: Vega

Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. This star is around 25 light years away from Earth. It has a magnitude around 0. The lower the magnitude, brighter the star. So if a star has negative magnitude, then it means it is brighter than the star Vega.

Answer: Capella

Capella is the brightest star in the constellation Auriga, so is known as Alpha Aurigae. It is around 42 light years away from Earth. It is the sixth brightest star in the night sky and the third brightest in the northern hemisphere.

Answer: False

Our sun can never become a black hole in the future as it is too small. It will end its life as a white dwarf. When a star dies, its core survives the supernova explosion, but, due to gravity, it starts to shrink. The more it shrinks, the more dense it becomes. If the mass of the core is more than three solar masses then it will become so dense that its gravity won't allow light to escape from it, becoming a black hole. If stars are not massive, they end their lives as white dwarfs or neutron stars.

Answer: Red dwarfs

The smaller the star, the higher will be its life expectancy. Among all the stars the life expectancy of red dwarfs is highest. Red dwarfs are stable stars and account for two thirds of all stars in our galaxy but they are not bright enough to be seen from Earth.