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If it's up in the sky, you'll probably find a quiz about it somewhere in here. Do some space exploration with these quizzes on the solar system and all things cosmological.
321 Astronomy quizzes and 4,494 Astronomy trivia questions.
Sub-Categories:
1.
Solar System Wonders
  Solar System Wonders   best quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Here are ten magnificent images of objects found in outer space. How many of them will you know?
Easier, 10 Qns, dcpddc478, Aug 16 24
Recommended for grades: 7,8,9
Easier
dcpddc478
Aug 16 24
8602 plays
2.
A Pictorial Tour of the Solar System
  A Pictorial Tour of the Solar System   best quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
This quiz covers some of the wonders of the Solar System, with illustrations which may help. It was written on behalf of Team Rockettes for the Fun Trivia Amazing Race 2.
Average, 10 Qns, rossian, Sep 15 13
Recommended for grades: 7,8,9
Average
rossian editor
3778 plays
3.
  Fascinating Astronomy 2   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is quizzyland's second quiz on the topic of astronomy. Considering that, the questions are relatively easy (I hope). Please give it a try and good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, thejazzkickazz, Jan 06 14
Average
thejazzkickazz gold member
17704 plays
4.
  From Here to Eternity   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Take a trip from Earth through the solar system and into the vast universe beyond! See how many sites you recognise!
Average, 10 Qns, alaspooryoric, Jun 15 23
Average
alaspooryoric gold member
Jun 15 23
4708 plays
5.
  A Look at the Cosmos   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Astronomy is quite possibly the most exciting and interesting branch of science in the opinion of the public. It is accessible, visible and the science is often shaped by amateur stargazers! Enjoy the quiz.
Average, 10 Qns, jonnowales, Feb 02 22
Average
jonnowales gold member
Feb 02 22
5956 plays
6.
  Astronomy in Binoculars!   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You don't need a big, expensive telescope to do astronomy! You can see plenty of interesting stars, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies with nothing more than a pair of 7x35 binoculars. How, you ask? Take this quiz!
Average, 10 Qns, pu2-ke-qi-ri, Mar 02 18
Average
pu2-ke-qi-ri
8494 plays
7.
  Astronomy    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about general astromomy. It was written in 2000, so please keep this in mind when planets are described.
Average, 10 Qns, skywynd, Oct 19 21
Average
skywynd
Oct 19 21
15359 plays
8.
Paint a Picture In the Sky
  Paint a Picture In the Sky   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
A quiz about constellations and the stars. Use the photo clues to help you answer the questions.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, kino76, Feb 02 17
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10
Very Easy
kino76 gold member
905 plays
9.
  A Heavenly Body By Any Other Name   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
My young grandson enjoys stargazing and learning about heavenly bodies. He has found that many times heavenly bodies have more than one name. See if you can correctly match the common name given with an alternative designation.
Easier, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Feb 02 22
Easier
ponycargirl editor
Feb 02 22
887 plays
10.
Star Gazing
  Star Gazing   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Come with me to view the constellations in the night sky! Hopefully you will learn something along the way!
Tough, 10 Qns, ponycargirl, Nov 12 18
Tough
ponycargirl editor
Nov 12 18
2513 plays
trivia question Quick Question
What do some people, in cultures all across the globe, claim to see in the full moon?

From Quiz "The Night Sky"




11.
  Astronomy Savvy   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
From the vast recesses of my mind, I've collected the most difficult facts about space I could remember and created this quiz. Hopefully, it'll provide quite a tough challenge for everyone. And, as always, please enjoy.
Tough, 10 Qns, wolfie001, Feb 02 22
Tough
wolfie001
Feb 02 22
7726 plays
12.
Heavenly Bodies and Phenomena
  Heavenly Bodies and Phenomena   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Join in me in a bit of space exploration. Together we will visit, among other things, planets, constellations and galaxies.
Easier, 10 Qns, gme24, Feb 02 22
Recommended for grades: 10,11,12
Easier
gme24 gold member
Feb 02 22
1629 plays
13.
  Space and The Universe    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How well do you know about this great big huge place we call the Universe??? Test yourself with this rather tough quiz!
Average, 10 Qns, debrafromsumner, Sep 20 23
Average
debrafromsumner
Sep 20 23
16304 plays
14.
  Twenty Questions About Comets   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This is the last in the twenty questions about Solar System objects. Hopefully you have enjoyed them as much as I have enjoyed making them. What do you know about these visitors from the depths of our solar sytem, comets?
Tough, 20 Qns, almach, Feb 26 22
Tough
almach
Feb 26 22
6405 plays
15.
  What Planet Were You On?!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Star date 4392.24. Last entry of Captain John Russell. Now adrift in space, I hope my log book makes it back to Earth in the escape pod. The worm holes discovered in 2017 worked, but I ran out of fuel. Hope the log helps the next traveler.
Very Easy, 10 Qns, bigjohnsludge, Jun 23 23
Recommended for grades: 7,8,9
Very Easy
bigjohnsludge gold member
Jun 23 23
1989 plays
16.
  The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram is of interest to astronomers studying stellar evolution. I hope it is also of interest to you.
Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Sep 16 13
Average
looney_tunes editor
2285 plays
17.
Celestial Navigation Stars
  Celestial Navigation Stars    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
There are fifty-eight stars that have a special status in astronomy because they aid in celestial navigation. This quiz will test your knowledge of some of them. Good luck!
Average, 10 Qns, Triviaballer, Jan 18 16
Average
Triviaballer gold member
662 plays
18.
A Starry Night
  A Starry Night   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
I have chosen five of my favourite (northern hemisphere) constellations to ask you about. Come join me as I travel the stars!
Average, 10 Qns, reedy, Jan 30 15
Average
reedy gold member
960 plays
19.
Stars on the Red Carpet
  Stars on the Red Carpet    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Roll out the red carpet for these ten gorgeous stars of the sky.
Average, 10 Qns, pennie1478, Feb 19 14
Average
pennie1478 gold member
1756 plays
20.
  The Stars of 'Harry Potter' editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You won't find anything about Daniel Radcliffe or Emma Watson in this quiz, as it's actually about a variety of stars whose names were given to characters from the 'Harry Potter' books. (No knowledge of the series is required - but it might help!)
Average, 10 Qns, Fifiona81, Feb 11 15
Average
Fifiona81 editor
1192 plays
21.
  Match the Star   top quiz  
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
There are many well-known stars in our night skies. Can you match the name of the star with its description?
Easier, 10 Qns, Red_John, Sep 09 20
Recommended for grades: 11,12
Easier
Red_John
Sep 09 20
251 plays
22.
Starlight Star Bright
  Starlight Star Bright    
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
The apparent magnitude of a star (or other celestial object) is a measure of how bright it is as seen from Earth. Here are a few questions for all you bright people out there.
Average, 10 Qns, reedy, Nov 04 13
Average
reedy gold member
896 plays
23.
  The Space Pumpkin editor best quiz   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I am hosting a cosmic dinner party, but am missing some ingredients. With that, I hop in my spacecraft, which happens to be a giant pumpkin, to travel the depths of space to collect food items.
Tough, 10 Qns, salami_swami, Feb 02 22
Tough
salami_swami gold member
Feb 02 22
2912 plays
24.
  Abducted by Aliens   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Extra Extra: Read All About It! Local woman shares her true account of alien abduction in the article entitled "Abducted by Aliens": Dawn's story.
Easier, 10 Qns, nycdmc70, Jun 15 23
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10
Easier
nycdmc70 gold member
Jun 15 23
2686 plays
25.
  So You Think You're a Space Nerd?   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A human's brain is pretty big and can hold so much information, but do you know what's bigger? If you answered elephants, well I agree to disagree. The universe is so much bigger than elephants.
Average, 10 Qns, lisbarber, Sep 10 24
Average
lisbarber
Sep 10 24
5096 plays
26.
  The Hubble Space Telescope   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is not for rocket scientists only. Try it and see how much you know about the Hubble Space Telescope.
Average, 10 Qns, severnriver, Dec 01 14
Average
severnriver
4056 plays
27.
  The Shining   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is not about Stephen King's book, it's about some of the bright objects in the sky that mankind has observed and sometimes been a little scared of for millennia. Let's see how many you know.
Easier, 10 Qns, CmdrK, Apr 12 13
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10
Easier
CmdrK gold member
1761 plays
28.
  A History of Hydrogen   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The story of the universe is reflected in the history of hydrogen. Let's take a look at a highlight reel.
Average, 10 Qns, CellarDoor, Oct 03 14
Average
CellarDoor gold member
1076 plays
29.
  The Constellations & Their History   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
How well do you know the constellations?
Difficult, 20 Qns, achernar, Oct 13 22
Difficult
achernar
Oct 13 22
2479 plays
30.
  Stargazing 101: Understanding the Night Sky    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about the fundamental interactions between the Earth and the night sky that help to orientate stargazers.
Average, 10 Qns, patrickk, Apr 07 24
Average
patrickk gold member
Apr 07 24
228 plays
31.
  Starry Night Trivia   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Sorry to disappoint Modern Art-enthusiasts...this quiz has nothing to do with van Gogh's famous picture; rather, it's about all the twinkling specks of light that we can see (with or without optical aids) in the night sky. Enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, achernar, Dec 30 14
Average
achernar
3081 plays
32.
  Starry Night    
Match Quiz
 15 Qns
Tonight seems like a good night to look at a few stars. For this quiz, you will need to match each star's proper name with its stellar designation. Good luck!
Average, 15 Qns, RedHook13, May 14 20
Average
RedHook13 gold member
May 14 20
280 plays
33.
  Planetary Postcards    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Melanie Heng is on a trip through the Solar System, sending postcards back to her friends on Earth. Use the descriptions to guess Melanie's location.
Easier, 10 Qns, ElusiveDream, Aug 17 18
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10
Easier
ElusiveDream
Aug 17 18
1951 plays
34.
  The Night Sky   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Some of the beautiful and intriguing things you can see on a clear, dark night.
Average, 10 Qns, wjames, Jan 17 14
Average
wjames gold member
1907 plays
35.
  The Life and Death of Stars    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Welcome to my second Author Quiz Challenge. Stars have lives similar to ours. They're born, they live for a few billion years then they die. This quiz is all about 'The Life and Death of Stars'.
Easier, 10 Qns, ElusiveDream, Aug 24 23
Recommended for grades: 10,11,12
Easier
ElusiveDream
Aug 24 23
795 plays
36.
  An Astronomical Mix   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Here is a mix of questions about moons in our solar system, stars, and constellations. If you get the ten answers correct, the first letters of the right answers will spell out another astronomical name.
Difficult, 10 Qns, Ampelos, Mar 11 15
Difficult
Ampelos gold member
1085 plays
37.
  Watch this Space    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Space is vast. There are lots of stars which illuminate this dark space and this quiz is about them. I will give you the name of the star. You have to match that star with the constellation which it is part of.
Easier, 10 Qns, The_Rubiks, Jun 06 19
Recommended for grades: 11,12
Easier
The_Rubiks gold member
Jun 06 19
327 plays
38.
  The Ten Best and Brightest    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Okay, maybe not best, but certainly brightest! I shine the spotlight (not that they need it) on the ten brightest stars in our night sky according to science.nasa.gov and stellardiscovery.com. This excludes our Sun, the actual brightest.
Average, 10 Qns, Caseena, Dec 18 21
Average
Caseena
Dec 18 21
246 plays
39.
  Dancing With The Stars    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz challenge, using names of reality shows. We could use the name of a real show, but we couldn't do the quiz on the show. So, I figured stars/astronomy would be a good topic. Hope you like it!
Average, 10 Qns, babsr, Sep 19 20
Average
babsr gold member
Sep 19 20
718 plays

Astronomy Trivia Questions

1. Many of the fascinating features of the night sky arise from the tilt of the Earth's rotational axis. To the nearest half a degree, what is the current axial tilt of the Earth?

From Quiz
Stargazing 101: Understanding the Night Sky

Answer: 23.5 degrees

Far from stable, the Earth's axial tilt ranges from 22.1 to 24.5 degrees over cycles of about 41000 years. In the first quarter of the twenty-first century, we are about halfway through the cycle, and are expected to reach the minimum tilt in the year 11800 CE.

2. Log entry: Star date 4289.05. Worm hole #15: Initial planet observation: Red, canals, barren with Polar icecaps. Where am I?

From Quiz What Planet Were You On?!

Answer: Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. Named after the mythological Roman "God of War," Mars is a cold planet with a thin atmosphere, which allows for good observation of the planet's surface. In the early twenty-first century we know more about Mars than any other planet.

3. Mu Draconis, a double star in the Draco constellation, is also known by which name?

From Quiz Dancing With The Stars

Answer: Al-Raqis

Al-Raqis is Arabic for "The Dancer". It has also been translated as "The Trotting Camel", and is part of a five star group known as "Quinque Dromedarii" If the name sounds familiar, the star is also known as Arrakis (or Alrakis). In the "Dune" sci-fi series by Frank Herbert, the name was used for the desert planet mined for spices. Apart from the name there is no connection, as Herbert set his fictional novel in the constellation Carina.

4. Hydrogen is the simplest element in the universe, and, not coincidentally, it's also the oldest. In its most common form, what does a hydrogen atom consist of?

From Quiz A History of Hydrogen

Answer: A proton and an electron

A neutral atom has a nucleus -- a compact conglomeration of positively charged protons and electrically neutral neutrons -- at its center, with negatively charged electrons inhabiting a comparatively large volume around. (For the atom to be neutral, the number of protons should equal the number of electrons so that their electrical charges will cancel out.) The simplicity of hydrogen makes it a great test case for physics theories: quantum mechanics was developed in part to calculate the behavior of a hydrogen atom. An element is defined by the number of protons in its nucleus: one for hydrogen, two for helium, three for lithium, and so on down the Periodic Table. The number of neutrons can vary, though, and nuclei with the same number of protons and different numbers of neutrons are called isotopes. The most common hydrogen isotope has no neutrons at all -- the nucleus is just a bare proton. A hydrogen isotope called deuterium has one neutron for its one proton; when deuterium substitutes for regular hydrogen in a water molecule, it's called heavy water. And the heaviest kind of hydrogen, with two neutrons and one proton, is called tritium; this stuff is radioactive, and is found in common items (exit signs) as well as classified ones (hydrogen bombs).

5. For my dinner party, I must make a salad. Fortunately, I'm in a giant pumpkin, so I can use it as my mixing bowl. I head straight for a comet, the Great Comet of 44BC. By what other name, reminiscent of a salad created in Mexico, is the comet known?

From Quiz The Space Pumpkin

Answer: Caesar's Comet

In Ancient Rome, when the Great Comet fell shortly after Julius Caesar's death, they viewed it as a sign of his newfound god status. The comet fell during the day, and quite possibly was the brightest daytime comet in history. The comet was visible for seven days in 44BC, but was not a periodic comet (meaning it does not visit Earth at regular intervals). It is believed that the comet disintegrated.

6. When did Ejnar Hertzsprung and Henry Russell develop the first Hertzsprung-Russell diagram?

From Quiz The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Answer: 1910-1913

In 1910 Hertzsprung noticed an interesting pattern in the Henry Draper Catalog of stars compiled in the late 19th century at Harvard University. He noted that some stars had relatively less brightness than other stars of the same spectral type, and started to construct a graph that analysed the patterns. It became known as the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (as it was developed in conjunction with Henry Russell), or HR diagram for short.

7. What nickname is given to the planet Venus?

From Quiz The Shining

Answer: Both

Venus, the brightest object in the sky after our sun, is called the Morning Star when it follows Earth in its orbit. Every 584 days it overtakes the Earth and is then called the Evening Star because of its position in relation to our own. It is bright enough to be seen at midday if you know where to look.

8. How are new stars born?

From Quiz The Life and Death of Stars

Answer: From clouds of gas and dust

Stars are born in the huge clouds of gas and dust we call nebulae. In most cases the nebulae themselves are produced from material left behind after old stars have died.

9. A star's lifespan is determined by its what?

From Quiz So You Think You're a Space Nerd?

Answer: mass

The bigger the mass, the shorter the life of the star. The mass of a star comes from the amount of matter in the nebula it was formed in. The gas in the nebula is pulled together by gravity to form the star.

10. NASA calls the Hubble Space Telescope an "orbiting observatory". What is the main advantage that an orbiting, or space-bound telescope, has over an earth-bound telescope?

From Quiz The Hubble Space Telescope

Answer: It is not affected by earth's atmosphere or weather

The Hubble Space Telescope does require a focusing system and a power supply, and it is expensive to build and maintain. Its biggest advantage over land-based telescopes is that it can operate around the clock, unimpaired by poor visibility on earth. In addition, the Hubble can receive infrared and ultraviolet radiation from outer space, unhindered by earth's atmosphere.

11. What state of matter is our Sun mainly consisted of?

From Quiz Astronomy Savvy

Answer: Plasma

Plasma is usually an ionized gas, meaning that one electron has been taken or added to an accumulation of atoms or molecules. This state of matter, which the founder called "radiant matter," was first identified in 1879 by Sir William Crookes inside a discharge tube. It was later renamed "plasma" by Irving Langmuir.

12. To the serious astronomer, amateur or professional, what would the definition of a "constellation" be?

From Quiz The Constellations & Their History

Answer: A section of the celestial sphere

In 1928, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) divided the celestial sphere, upon which all objects in the sky can be thought to lie, into 88 constellations with fixed boundaries. These 88 constellations were, however, based on the "traditional" constellations, which were merely groups of stars that formed patterns, such as Orion (the hunter) and Scorpius (the scorpion). To a novice who is just getting acquainted with the celestial sphere, however, using the patterns formed by the stars is the best way to make himself/herself familiar with the sky at night.

13. What are comets believed to be made of?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Comets

Answer: Mixture of ice, rock and dust

Comets are sometimes referred to as dirty snowballs.

14. Compared to the other planets in our solar system, where is the Earth? The _____ from the sun?

From Quiz Astronomy

Answer: third rock

That's right folks, we are the third rock from the sun! The order goes: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto used to be there at the end, but has since been demoted.

15. What are chunks of rocks of varied size in space called?

From Quiz Space and The Universe

Answer: asteroids

16. Most objects visible in the night sky are so far away that they appear to be fixed to a rotating sphere of immense but uncertain radius. What is the name given to this illusory sphere?

From Quiz Stargazing 101: Understanding the Night Sky

Answer: Celestial sphere

In reality, the distance to stars and galaxies varies widely. However, the celestial sphere remains a very useful model to specify the location of objects in the sky. This is because the distances are so large that parallax errors are largely undetectable. Nearby objects within the solar system (the sun, moon, planets, etc.) are not considered to be part of the celestial sphere as they are so close that they move through the sphere over time.

17. Sounding like the name of an Egyptian jar, which Southern star is the second-brightest in the night sky?

From Quiz The Ten Best and Brightest

Answer: Canopus

Canopus is in Carina, which, along with Vela and Puppis, comprise the Argo, a set of three Southern constellations representing the mythological ship (some also include Pyxis with this set). Canopus' apparent magnitude is approximately -.72. This star has nothing to do with canopic jars, which in ancient Egypt held the organs of a mummified person. However, it is likely named after the mythological person Canopus, a ship's captain for a king of Sparta, which fits the boat theme.

18. Log entry: Star date 4292.19. Worm hole #3: Initial planet observation: Planet enormous, many moons, gaseous, giant "Red Spot". Where am I?

From Quiz What Planet Were You On?!

Answer: Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet in the solar system. Named after the mythological Roman "Leader of the Gods," Jupiter is a "Gas Giant" as large as 1300 Earths. Jupiter's days are only ten hours long. The giant "Red Spot" is actually a massive storm system that is larger than the Earth.

19. What is the name of the hazy band of light that arcs across the clear night sky?

From Quiz The Night Sky

Answer: Milky Way

The Milky Way is the name of our galaxy. From our position in the rim of the galaxy, we see the light from the other stars as a general band of light approximately 30 degrees wide.

20. What quantities were plotted on the vertical and horizontal axes of the first HR Diagram?

From Quiz The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

Answer: Absolute visual magnitude vs spectral type

The vertical axis was used to plot the star's luminosity, or brightness, which is called its magnitude. The apparent visual magnitude describes how bright the star appears, while the absolute visual magnitude includes a correction for distance, so all stars are assigned a magnitude based on how bright they would appear to an observer 10 parsecs away. The brighter the star, the higher it will appear along the vertical axis. The horizontal axis grouped stars according to their spectral type, which indicates a temperature range in which the star's energy emission falls. One of the problems with this original diagram, powerful as it was, was the fact that this is a non-continuous classification scheme. During the 20th century, this axis was changed to be a color index, allowing the use of numerical values along the horizontal axis. In the HR diagram, hotter stars appear on the left side, and cooler stars on the right.

21. How long is a star's life-cycle?

From Quiz The Life and Death of Stars

Answer: It depends on the size of the star

A star's life-cycle depends greatly on the actual size of the star itself. For example, small stars like red dwarves have lifespans measuring many billions of years while massive stars like super red giants only live for a few million years. Basically, the bigger the star is, the shorter its lifespan.

22. One of the original goals of the Hubble Space Telescope was to find an accurate value for the Hubble's Law. What is Hubble's Law?

From Quiz The Hubble Space Telescope

Answer: the speed that a galaxy moves away from us (on earth) is proportional to its distance from us

Named after astronomer Edwin P. Hubble, the Hubble's Law is the value of the velocity of a galaxy receding from earth, compared to its distance away from earth. This is related to the concept of an expanding universe. The Hubble Space Telescope allowed scientists to find an accurate value for Hubble's Law, which in turn allowed scientists to make more accurate estimates of distances in outer space.

23. The Russian-built Venera 7 visited what planet?

From Quiz Astronomy Savvy

Answer: Venus

The Venera 7 entered the atmosphere of Venus on December 15, 1970. It landed on its surface and returned data for 23 minutes. This probe was the first to be successfully landed on the surface of another planet and also the first to transmit data from the surface of another planet. "Venera" is Russian for "Venus."

24. The numbers on your binoculars, like 6x35, 7x50, 8x50, etc., refer to what?

From Quiz Astronomy in Binoculars!

Answer: Magnification and aperture in millimeters

The first number refers to the power of magnification. Common values are 6x, 7x, and 10x. Quality telescopes, by contrast, start with magnification of about 30x. The second value is the aperture in millimeters. Common values are 30, 35, and 50. For astronomical purposes, 7x is usually the minimum useful magnification, and 35 mm is the minimum useful aperture. If you're thinking about buying a pair of binoculars to use in astronomy, consider that having a large aperture is usually more useful than having a high magnification-- after all, even if you have a high-power telescope, you won't be able to see anything if it doesn't let in enough light. Just for reference, I have a pair of 7x50 binoculars, and I've been able to see most everything I describe in this quiz reasonably well in my suburban back yard.

25. Who was the first person to predict the return of a comet?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Comets

Answer: Edmund Halley

In 1705 Edmund Halley predicted that the comets of 1531, 1607 and 1682 were the same comet and that it would return in 1758. The comet returned as predicted and was named after Halley. Charles Messier discovered 19 comets, Catherine Herschel found 8. SOHO is a satellite that has discovered more comets than any person (over 500 to date).

26. About how many individually distinguishable stars could you see WITHOUT the use of a telescope or binoculars, if you were away from the city on a clear night?

From Quiz Astronomy

Answer: 2000

WITH the use of a powerful telescope, you could see millions of stars in just one small part of the sky.

27. What 2 planets are most of the asteroids in our solar system found between?

From Quiz Space and The Universe

Answer: Mars and Jupiter

28. What, in our solar system, is the Cassini Division?

From Quiz Fascinating Astronomy 2

Answer: A gap in Saturn's rings

Gioovanni Domenico Cassini was an Italian-French astronomer from the late 17th-early 18th century. He followed up on Galileo's work with a more powerful telescope, one that allowed him to discover four moons of Saturn and the gaps in Saturn's rings that bear his name.

29. Distances between objects in the sky are measured in degrees. Each degree is subdivided into 60 arcminutes. What is each arcminute further subdivided into?

From Quiz Stargazing 101: Understanding the Night Sky

Answer: 60 arcseconds

Arcseconds can be further subdivided into 1,000 milliarcseconds and 1,000,000 microarcseconds for further precision. However, in practice it is often preferred to use decimals of a minute to provide the necessary significant figures of precision e.g. 35 degrees 12.235233 arcminutes.

30. Rigil Kentaurus is a special star. Besides being the third-brightest in our sky, what is its claim-to-fame?

From Quiz The Ten Best and Brightest

Answer: One of the closest stars to Earth besides the Sun

Rigil Kentaurus (apparent magnitude of -.27) is also called Alpha Centauri A and is located in Centaurus. It's a relatively close 4.3 light years away. Like Sirius, it's a binary star, with the other designated as Alpha Centauri B. Alpha Centauri C, aka Proxima Centauri, is the nearest non-Sun star to Earth at 4.2 light years away. However, you'll need a telescope to see it, as its apparent magnitude is over 11, too faint to see with the naked eye. Apparent magnitude is an object's brightness as viewed from Earth. The lower the number (even into the negatives), the brighter the object. It is distinct from absolute magnitude, what an object's brightness would be as viewed from a distance of 10 parsecs. The Sun's apparent magnitude is -26.7 while its absolute magnitude is about 4.8.

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