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Pluto Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Pluto Quizzes, Trivia

Pluto Trivia

Pluto Trivia Quizzes

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No longer a planet, but still an interesting part of the solar system. These quizzes are all about Pluto, the dwarf planet.
7 Pluto quizzes and 80 Pluto trivia questions.
1.
Probing the Underworld Pluto and its Moons
  Probing the Underworld: Pluto and its Moons editor best quiz   great trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
For a dwarf planet, Pluto sure has a large family with its five moons. This quiz explores some of what we now know about this remote corner of the solar system.
Average, 10 Qns, agentofchaos, Feb 24 21
Average
agentofchaos gold member
Feb 24 21
458 plays
2.
  Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is all about the tiny world known as Pluto. It may be small in size, but its scientific potential is huge.
Average, 10 Qns, RedHook13, Mar 14 17
Average
RedHook13 gold member
391 plays
3.
  Twenty Questions About Pluto   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
This twenty question quiz is on the farthest known planet in our Solar System. What do you know about mysterious Pluto? Note- this quiz was written *prior* to the 2006 change in Pluto's status.
Tough, 20 Qns, almach, Aug 22 22
Tough
almach
Aug 22 22
2325 plays
4.
  What Happened To Pluto?   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A few years ago Pluto, formerly known as the ninth planet in the Solar System, was demoted to dwarf planet. How much do you know about Pluto?
Average, 10 Qns, nmerr, Jul 02 22
Average
nmerr gold member
Jul 02 22
1235 plays
5.
  No One Wants To Live On Pluto    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
How much do you know about the living conditions of Pluto? Play this quiz to find out.
Average, 10 Qns, pinkbunny98, Feb 07 15
Average
pinkbunny98
355 plays
6.
  134340 Pluto    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about my favorite celestial body that has enough mass to maintain hydrostatic equilibrium, directly orbits the Sun, and does not clear its neighborhood: the dwarf planet Pluto! The information in this quiz is up to date as of July 2012.
Average, 10 Qns, jonthomas, Feb 19 20
Average
jonthomas
Feb 19 20
277 plays
7.
  Pluto    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Very little is known about Pluto but try this quiz to see what you know! It's not that difficult but watch for some tricky questions. Good luck and enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, GeniusBoy, Apr 04 19
Tough
GeniusBoy
Apr 04 19
1543 plays
trivia question Quick Question
How many satellites of Pluto were discovered in the 20th century?

From Quiz "Twenty Questions About Pluto"





Pluto Trivia Questions
1. In what year was Pluto discovered?

From Quiz Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could

Answer: 1930

Pluto was discovered by Clyde Tombaugh on February 18, 1930. It was discovered using the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. Tombaugh observed an object was having a gravitational influence on Uranus and Neptune. He found Pluto by comparing images he had taken of the night sky. A small faint dot was observed to be in a different location in later images.

2. For decades, Pluto was called a major planet. However, the discovery of what celestial body made the IAU (International Astronomical Union) define what a planet is?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: Eris

In 2006, astronomers discovered Eris, which they said was 25% more massive than Pluto, thus bringing in to question what makes a planet a planet. They then found several objects like these in the Kuiper Belt. After 2006, Pluto was reclassified into something called a dwarf planet, leading to the upset of many.

3. Which astronomer is credited with having discovered Pluto?

From Quiz What Happened To Pluto?

Answer: Clyde Tombaugh

Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh has been credited for discovering Pluto in 1930. After building telescopes as a young man, he brought his telescopes to Lowell Observatory in Arizona where he was employed for sixteen years.

4. How far is Pluto from the Sun?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Pluto

Answer: 5.9 billion kilometers

Pluto is 39.5 Astronomical Units from the Sun. At this distance, the Sun appears as a fairly bright star.

5. Of what is Pluto the Roman god?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: the dead

A fitting name, not just because Pluto is so cold and far away, but because the name combines the letters P and L, the initials of the planets 'godfather,' Percival Lowell.

6. What is the name of Pluto's largest moon?

From Quiz Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could

Answer: Charon

Charon is the largest moon of Pluto. It was discovered on June 22, 1978. It is a large moon almost half the size of Pluto itself. It is so large relative to its parent planet that it does not orbit Pluto; rather both Pluto and Charon orbit around a common center of gravity.

7. How far away in astronomical units, or AU, (93,000,000 miles) is Pluto from the Sun on average?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: 39 AU

An AU is 93,000,000 miles, or approximately the distance between the Sun and Earth. At 39 AU, the Sun would appear to be quite small, only slightly larger than other stars in the sky.

8. In Roman mythology, Pluto is the god of the underworld. Who is his Greek counterpart?

From Quiz What Happened To Pluto?

Answer: Hades

Both Pluto and Hades are gods of the underworld. An eleven year old student named Venetia Burney chose the name Pluto for the newly discovered planet. She wanted the name to match the other planets which were named for Roman gods.

9. What is Pluto's mass?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Pluto

Answer: .0022 times that of Earth

You would weigh very little on the smallest planet in the Solar System.

10. Pluto was discovered on what date?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: February 18, 1930

Discovered very recently, compared to the other planets and their discoveries.

11. On average, how far is Pluto from the sun?

From Quiz No One Wants To Live On Pluto

Answer: Around 5.9 billion kilometers

At its perihelion (the closest point of its orbit to the sun), Pluto gets to within 4.4 billion km from the sun. But at its aphelion (the most distant point of its orbit from the sun), Pluto gets to within 7.38 billion km of the sun.

12. What is Pluto's density?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Pluto

Answer: 2.03 that of water

Although Pluto's composition is unknown, its density indicates that it is probably a mixture of 30 percent water ice and about 70 percent rock. The ice on Pluto is as hard as rock.

13. How far is Pluto (on average) from the sun?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: 3.7 billion miles

A very cold, very desolate place to be.

14. Who discovered Pluto in 1930?

From Quiz No One Wants To Live On Pluto

Answer: Clyde W. Tombaugh

It took Clyde one year of painstaking work at the Lowell Observatory to find Pluto. He found it on February 18, 1930. He also discovered hundreds of other asteroids in his life.

15. Pluto's first moon to be discovered was Charon, found in 1978. Who was the astronomer to discover it?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: James Christy

Christy then went on to name the moon after his girlfriend, Charlene. Charon is also the Greek ferryman of the underworld. Tombaugh is the discoverer of Pluto, Adams is the discoverer of Neptune, and Lowell is the man whose work led to Pluto's discovery.

16. Plutonium is named for the planet Pluto. What is the chemical symbol for plutonium?

From Quiz What Happened To Pluto?

Answer: Pu

The atomic number for plutonium is 94. It is considered a metal.

17. What astronomer tried to predict where a ninth planet would be and was very close to Pluto's actual position (it was at his observatory that Pluto was discovered)?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: Percival Lowell

If you've taken my Mars quiz you should remember that he was also very interested in Mars and its 'canals'. The Lowell Observatory was built by him and was established in 1894.

18. Pluto was the center of attention in 2006. What happened to it?

From Quiz Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could

Answer: It was no longer considered to be a planet

Pluto was long considered to be the ninth planet. However, since its discovery, there have been a number of objects discovered beyond Pluto of similar size and composition. This has led scientists to debate whether Pluto was actually a planet or not. On August 24, 2006 the IAU (International Astronomical Union) officially downgraded Pluto to a dwarf planet.

19. Another of Pluto's moons, Nix, was discovered in 2005. Who/what is Nix?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: Greek goddess of night/darkness

In Greek Mythology, Nix was the mother of Charon, Hypnos, and Thanatos, to name a few. Nix can also be spelled as "Nyx".

20. Pluto has what type of orbit?

From Quiz What Happened To Pluto?

Answer: elliptical

Not only is Pluto's orbit elliptical, or oval-shaped, its orbit crosses the orbit of Neptune.

21. What is the rotation of Pluto?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Pluto

Answer: 6.3 Earth days

An interesting fact about Pluto is that only one other world in the Solar System has more contrast in its surface coloration and that is Saturn's satellite Iapetus.

22. Where is the observatory that Pluto was discovered at located?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: Flagstaff, Arizona

The observatory is one of the oldest in the USA and has been responsible for other discoveries such as oxygen on Ganymede, one of Jupiter's satellites.

23. What was the name of the spacecraft that visited Pluto in 2015?

From Quiz Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could

Answer: New Horizons

The New Horizons spacecraft was launched in January, 2006. It used gravity assists from the Sun and the planet Jupiter to set it on a course for Pluto. New Horizons finally arrived at Pluto in July, 2015. It has since passed Pluto and is scheduled to fly by an object further out in the Kuiper Belt.

24. How long is one day on Pluto compared to one on Earth?

From Quiz No One Wants To Live On Pluto

Answer: Around seven earth days

Astronomers calculate that it takes 6 earth days, 9 hours, and 17 minutes for a day to pass on Pluto. Interestingly, Pluto's temperature isn't as extreme as that of some planets which revolve at the same speed.

25. Another moon was discovered along with Nix. What is its name?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: Hydra

In Greek mythology, the Hydra was a nine headed serpent that guarded the Lethe River of the underworld. Cerberus was a dog with three heads and Orthros was its two-headed brother. Hades is the Greek version of Pluto.

26. Pluto is not only a dwarf planet but is also known as what?

From Quiz What Happened To Pluto?

Answer: plutoid

A plutoid is a dwarf planet that is further out in space than Neptune.

27. How many satellites of Pluto were discovered in the 20th century?

From Quiz Twenty Questions About Pluto

Answer: One

Only Charon was discovered in the twentieth century, in 1978. It was named for the boatman of myth who ferried the dead to the underworld. Two additional satellites - Nix and Hydra - were confirmed on 2/24/06 with a fourth one was found in 2011. In 2012, a fifth moon, Styx, was identified.

28. Two previously undiscovered moons of Pluto were discovered in 2005. One was named Nix. Which name was given to the second one?

From Quiz Pluto

Answer: Hydra

The two moons were found by the team operating the Hubble Space Telescope, with the name of Hydra being allocated partly due to the starting initial of Hubble.

29. Pluto features a large geographic area on its surface arranged in what shape?

From Quiz Pluto, the Dwarf Planet that Could

Answer: Heart

When New Horizons sent its photographs back to Earth, the world was able to view the surface of Pluto for the first time since it was discovered. Most of the surface is a reddish brown color, while the Tombaugh Regio area of the surface is a lighter shade of brown and appears to look like a giant heart.

30. Since the discovery of Pluto's second and third moons, astronomers have found a fourth and fifth. Which years were they found?

From Quiz 134340 Pluto

Answer: 2011 and 2012

As of 2012, two new moons have been discovered orbiting Pluto, bringing its total up to five for now. They were discovered on June 28, 2011 and July 11, 2012. They were later named Kerberos and Styx, respectively.

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