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Quiz about Our Amazing Sun
Quiz about Our Amazing Sun

Our Amazing Sun Trivia Quiz


Our sun, or Sol, is an amazing body, responsible for light and life across our solar system. This quiz deals with ten basic facts about our sun while sharing some breathtaking images of it.

A photo quiz by timence. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
timence
Time
4 mins
Type
Photo Quiz
Quiz #
374,085
Updated
Jan 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
2576
Awards
Editor's Choice
Last 3 plays: Guest 67 (9/10), Guest 75 (10/10), Rezziuq22 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Our sun is incredibly large, much larger than Earth. This picture shows just a fraction of the sun's surface in relation to Earth's size. About how many individual planets the size of ours would fit inside the sun? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. The sun's shape is almost a perfect sphere.


Question 3 of 10
3. This picture shows sections of the sun that appear temporarily on its surface and are relatively cooler than other parts. What are they called? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This image shows a groundbreaking picture, one of the first that illustrated the formation of flux ropes. This phenomenon is due to the presence of what type of energy? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which phrase describes the massive release of energy from the sun, appearing to observers as a bright flash of light on its surface? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which word, also used to describe the liquid component of blood, describes the state of matter being ejected from the sun in this image? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The transit of which planet across the sun was observed in Tahiti by Captain James Cook in 1769, and more recently in 2004 and 2012? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The sun is classified as a yellow dwarf.


Question 9 of 10
9. Our sun is viewed by astronomers by varying what property, measured in Angstroms, to examine elements that can't be seen with the naked eye? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which of the following statements about our sun is FALSE? Hint



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View Image Attributions for This Quiz

Most Recent Scores
Mar 26 2024 : Guest 67: 9/10
Mar 18 2024 : Guest 75: 10/10
Mar 15 2024 : Rezziuq22: 5/10
Mar 13 2024 : tmac93024: 7/10
Mar 11 2024 : sophiedog19441: 5/10
Mar 09 2024 : matthewpokemon: 10/10
Mar 05 2024 : Guest 4: 10/10
Feb 25 2024 : Guest 165: 7/10
Feb 24 2024 : rdhill: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Our sun is incredibly large, much larger than Earth. This picture shows just a fraction of the sun's surface in relation to Earth's size. About how many individual planets the size of ours would fit inside the sun?

Answer: One million

The sun has a surface area more than 12,000 times that of Earth, and its mass is over 330,000 times that of our planet. The sheer size of our sun is probably distorted by the incredible distance it is from us: we are on average about 150 million km (or 93 million miles) from the sun at any given time. Even Mercury, its closest neighbour, is over 50 million km (31 million miles) away.
2. The sun's shape is almost a perfect sphere.

Answer: True

The diameter of our sun varies by only about 10km (6 miles) between its poles and equator. In relative terms this is a tiny variation, given that the sun has an average diameter of nearly 1.4 million km (0.86 million miles)! This makes our sun one of the closest objects to a perfect sphere ever observed in nature.
3. This picture shows sections of the sun that appear temporarily on its surface and are relatively cooler than other parts. What are they called?

Answer: Sun spots

These spots are relatively cooler than the rest of the sun, but still incredibly hot (generally over 2,500 degrees Celsius). In contrast, the surface of the sun varies in temperature but is usually about 5,500 degrees.
4. This image shows a groundbreaking picture, one of the first that illustrated the formation of flux ropes. This phenomenon is due to the presence of what type of energy?

Answer: Magnetic

The formation of flux ropes, driven by magnetic energy, can last for a number of weeks. The ejection of the rope into the sun's outer atmosphere then leads to a massive energy release known as a coronal mass ejection.
5. Which phrase describes the massive release of energy from the sun, appearing to observers as a bright flash of light on its surface?

Answer: Solar flare

A solar flare releases an incredible amount of energy seen as light: to put it in context, over 25,000 times the amount of energy that was released when the Shoemaker-Levy comet collided with Jupiter. These events are very common on the sun's surface, and can happen multiple times in a single (Earth) day.
6. Which word, also used to describe the liquid component of blood, describes the state of matter being ejected from the sun in this image?

Answer: Plasma

Plasma is one of the four states of matter (along with solid, liquid and gas). Plasma is created in the sun due to a combination of gases and strong magnetic fields. This picture shows the result of a phenomenon known as a 'solar wind', which is made up of plasma and escapes the sun's surface due to the high amount of energy within.
7. The transit of which planet across the sun was observed in Tahiti by Captain James Cook in 1769, and more recently in 2004 and 2012?

Answer: Venus

The transit of Venus is one of the rarest repeated events in astronomic phenomena, only happening every 110 years or so, but interestingly happening twice in eight years when it does occur. The first scientific prediction of the transit is credited to Johannes Kepler, who predicted the 1631 event. The next event is due to occur in December 2117.
8. The sun is classified as a yellow dwarf.

Answer: True

The sun appears yellow to us due to the filtering of light from Earth's atmosphere. Scientists generally believe our sun to be white. Our sun is thought to be in the middle of its life at about 4.5billion years. In another 5 billion years it is predicted to end its life, becoming a white dwarf about the same size of Earth along the way.
9. Our sun is viewed by astronomers by varying what property, measured in Angstroms, to examine elements that can't be seen with the naked eye?

Answer: Wavelength

The sun emits a wide range of colours, which can be observed by changing the wavelength of instruments (generally telescopes). This provides us with insights into various parts of the sun, including phenomena across its surface and within its core. This process also provides us with some breathtaking images.
10. Which of the following statements about our sun is FALSE?

Answer: Light from the sun takes about 8 hours to reach Earth

Despite its large distance from the earth, the speed of light (300,000 km per second) enables the sun's light to reach Earth in just over 8 minutes. Likewise, the incredible amounts of heat and light generated by the sun mean it is a good thing we are so far away: if we were even slightly closer they would be more than we could handle.
Source: Author timence

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us