All About Stars Trivia Quiz

Answer: Orion

Betelgeuse is a large, red supergiant in the constellation of Orion. It's the 10th brightest star in the night sky along with Beta Centauri.

Answer: Eta Carinae

Canopus is a bright giant or a lesser supergiant, Capella and Bellatrix are just giants. Eta Carinae is one of the most massive stars in our galaxy. It's about a hundred times more massive than our Sun which is the limit mass for stars above which a star may tear itself apart by its own radiation! This star is present in the Eta Carinae nebula. Now, it is a dim 5th magnitude star but in the 1800s, due to a violent outburst, it flared up to a magnitude of -1.3 and tied with Sirius in brightness! Recent researches have shown that Eta Carinae is likely to be a double star.

Answer: Achernar

Achernar is a hot, blue, sub giant star present at the southern tip of the constellation Eridanus. It is a bit bulged at the centre due to its rapid rotation. Unfortunately, this star is invisible to most of the northern hemishpere along with other luminaries like Canopus, Alpha Centauri and stars of the southern cross. I am really lucky because from our place i.e. south India, almost all constellations are visible except some 2 or 3 which are also partly visible because our city is only 13 degrees north of the equator.

Answer: Deneb

Summer Triangle is a beautiful triangle shaped asterism formed by Vega, Altair and Deneb. It is visible during summer in the northern hemisphere and during winter in the southern hemisphere. Vega and Altair are main sequence stars located within 30 light years whereas Deneb is a white supergiant located at a distance of more than 1000 light years! Though there are many stars which are so distant and still visible to the naked eye, Deneb is among the brightest stars in the night sky, which places it above all other stars which are equally distant.

Answer: Sirius

The Winter Triangle is the counterpart of the famous Summer Triangle. The Winter Triangle is visible during winter in the northern hemisphere and during autumn in the southern hemisphere. This winter asterism is formed by Sirius, Procyon and Betelgeuse. This triangle has brighter component stars and is somewhat smaller than the Summer Triangle.

Answer: hypergiant

The Pistol star is a 'hypergiant' (a term used for stars which are more luminous than supergiants). It is more massive than Eta Carinae! Being one of the most luminous and massive stars in our galaxy, it is located near the galactic centre in the constellation of Sagittarius.

It is said to have created a nebula around it by the rapid ejection of its mass. This nebula is called the Pistol Nebula because of its pistol shape.

Answer: Luminous Blue Variables

This name, followed with some numbers, is given to some ultra massive, highly luminous hypergiants which are usually present in dense star forming regions like the Eta Carinae nebula or associations of stars like the OB association in Cassiopeia.

Answer: Aludhra

Aludhra is an ultra luminous blue-white supergiant in the constellation of Canis Major. Saiph is also a supergiant, but much smaller. Bellatrix is a less luminous, blue giant. Mizar is a normal main sequence star.

Answer: Canopus

Canopus is a lesser known southern hemisphere star though it is the second brightest star in the night sky. Rigel is a blue star whereas Antares is red. Wezen, though yellow-white, is not the brightest. Canopus is one of my favourite stars. I dont know why.

Answer: Centaurus

This is the nearest star system to our solar system. The components are a yellow main sequence star similar to our Sun, a less luminous orange main sequence and a tiny red dwarf called Proxima Centauri, the closest of the three to the solar system.