Lost in Space Trivia Quiz

Answer: Saturn

S At U Rn - Sulphur, Astatine, Uranium, Radon

Saturn was first observed in 1659 by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. The Indira Gandhi Planetarium in Lucknow, India, is a gigantic, Saturn-shaped building opened in 2003.

Answer: Red spots

Re Ds Po Ts - Rhenium, Darmstadtium, Polonium, Tennessine

NASA'S Messenger probe, which first flew past Mercury in 2008, revealed hundreds of volcanic vents, with material thrown out by volcanic explosions showing up as reddish-coloured spots. The spots indicate 'recent' (by astronomical standards!) volcanic activity on the planet.

Answer: Gases

Ga S Es - Gallium, Sulphur, Einsteinium

Composed mostly of helium and/or hydrogen, the gas giant planets don't have hard surfaces, but have swirling gases surrounding a dense core. The gas giants are located on the far side of the asteroid belt, further away from the sun.

Gases is sometimes spelled 'gasses'.

Answer: Moon

Mo O N - Molybdenum, Oxygen, Nitrogen

The Moon is the Earth's natural satellite, approximately 400,000km from earth. The regular ebb and flow of the ocean tides are affected by the moon, as are the seasons. The Earth is held in tension between the Sun and the Moon, regulating Earth's spin. Only one side of the Moon is ever seen from Earth, because the Moon rotates on its own axis, which takes the same time it takes to orbit the Earth.

Answer: Cosmos

Co Sm Os - Cobalt, Samarium, Osmium

The word 'cosmos' is the Latinised form of the Greek word 'kosmos' meaning 'good order' or 'orderly arrangement'. Is it thought that Pythagoras was the first to apply the word to the universe, perhaps with the connotation of the 'starry firmament'.

Answer: Nebula

Ne B U La - Neon, Boron, Uranium, Lanthanum

A nebula is a cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionised gases that occurs between stars. Some are formed as the result of supernova explosions; planetary nebulae are produced by red giant stars late in their lives. Some nebula have interesting names such as the Oyster, the Carina, the Cat's Eye and the Omega while others have alphanumeric designations.

Answer: Pisces

P I Sc Es - Phosphorus, Iodine, Scandium, Einsteinium

The constellation of Pisces is associated with the myth of Aphrodite and her son Eros, who were rescued by a pair of ichthye, large Syrian river fish. Fantastical early depictions of the constellation show two fish joined together by their tails, roughly in the shape of a V.

Answer: Planets

P La Ne Ts - Phosphorus, Lanthanum, Neon, Tennessine

The order of the planets in our solar system is: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Forget Pluto! experts believe that there's another planet out there that will be (if they find it!) about 10 times the mass of Earth and 5,000 times the mass of Pluto. They whimsically call it 'Planet X'. Because of their surfaces, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are known as the 'terrestrial planets'.

Answer: Ceres

Ce Re S - Cerium, Rhenium, Sulphur

Ceres is the only dwarf planet located within our solar system, while the rest lie at the outer edges, in the Kuiper Belt. It is thought to be shrinking, developing 'wrinkles' while it does so. It is possible that Ceres has an ocean and an atmosphere, according to scientists. It appears to have one lone mountain, but several ice volcanoes.

Answer: Flares

Fl Ar Es - Flerovium, Argon, Einsteinium

A solar flare is an intense burst of radiation that emanates from the release of superheated gas and magnetic energy. Flares are sometimes accompanied by a discharge of solar plasma, known as a 'coronal mass ejection' (CME).