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Night Skies Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz about the stars in the night sky. Have fun!

A multiple-choice quiz by MarkThames. Estimated time: 3 mins.

Author
MarkThames

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
365,028

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
323

Last 3 plays: angostura (10/10), tiye (8/10), Guest 141 (9/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What is the brightest star that can be seen in Earth's night sky? (Meaning which star has the least apparent magnitude.) Hint

Spica

Sol

Sirius

Polaris

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Question 2 of 10

2. What is the brightest star in the constellation Leo? Hint

Denebola

Regulus

Delta Leonis

Algieba

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Question 3 of 10

3. What is the brightest star in the constellation Orion? Hint

Rigel

Bellatrix

Betelgeuse

Saiph

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Question 4 of 10

4. What constellation is Polaris in? Hint

Ursa Major

Andromeda

Hercules

Ursa Minor

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Question 5 of 10

5. Which star was the Northern Pole Star before Polaris? Hint

Vega

Thuban

Rigel

Sirius

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Question 6 of 10

6. Which planet is known as the "Morning Star" and the "Evening Star" in some ancient civilizations? Hint

Venus

Mars

Earth

Pluto

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which of the following stars is less luminous (absolute magnitude) than Sirius? Hint

Sol

Rigel

Polaris

Vega

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Question 8 of 10

8. Other than Sol, what is the nearest notable star to Earth? Hint

Beta Leonis

61 Cygni

Sirius

Proxima Centauri

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Question 9 of 10

9. What is the largest constellation? Hint

Hydra

Hercules

Virgo

Ursa Major

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Question 10 of 10

10. How many notable stars are in Orion's Belt? Hint

Three

Two

Four

Five

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Most Recent Scores

Dec 17 2024 : angostura: 10/10
Nov 28 2024 : tiye: 8/10
Nov 22 2024 : Guest 141: 9/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What is the brightest star that can be seen in Earth's night sky? (Meaning which star has the least apparent magnitude.)

Answer: Sirius

Sirius has an apparent magnitude of -1.46 making it the brightest star visible from Earth at night. The Sun has an apparent magnitude of -26.74, but is not visible during night.

2. What is the brightest star in the constellation Leo?

Answer: Regulus

Regulus, also known as "Alpha Leonis", is the brightest star, hence the "Alpha". All the other stars in the constellation Leo have a second name which ends in Leonis, for example, Beta Leonis is another name for Denebola.

3. What is the brightest star in the constellation Orion?

Answer: Rigel

Rigel is the brightest star in Orion, as well as the seventh brightest in the visible night sky. Rigel is the foot of the constellation Orion. Betelgeuse is the second brightest of Orion.

4. What constellation is Polaris in?

Answer: Ursa Minor

Polaris, the Northern Pole Star, is the brightest star in Ursa Minor, with an apparent magnitude of 2.02. Polaris actually derives from Pole Star in Latin (stella polaris).

5. Which star was the Northern Pole Star before Polaris?

Answer: Thuban

Thuban was the Northern Pole Star in 3000 B.C.E., though it was much fainter than Polaris, as it had approximately one-fifth of Polaris' brightness. Vega was the Northern Pole Star in 13000 B.C.E.

6. Which planet is known as the "Morning Star" and the "Evening Star" in some ancient civilizations?

Answer: Venus

Venus is visible in both the evening and morning, which is how it gained its name as the Morning Star and the Evening Star. Using the naked eye, Venus seems to appear as a bright star instead of a planet.

7. Which of the following stars is less luminous (absolute magnitude) than Sirius?

Answer: Sol

Sirius has an absolute magnitude of 1.4, Sol has an absolute magnitude of 4.83, Polaris has an absolute magnitude of -3.6, Rigel has an absolute magnitude of -7.84, and Vega has an absolute magnitude of 0.58.(The more luminous, the lower the absolute magnitude.)

8. Other than Sol, what is the nearest notable star to Earth?

Answer: Proxima Centauri

Proxima Centauri is approximately 4 light-years away, which is the closest notable-enough star from Earth other than the Sun. Technically, trillions of years into the future, the answer to this question could be different, but that's a bit too far.

9. What is the largest constellation?

Answer: Hydra

Hydra is the largest of the 88 constellations with around 1300 square degrees. Virgo, Hercules, and Ursa Major are all in the top five.

10. How many notable stars are in Orion's Belt?

Answer: Three

The constellation of Orion has three stars that seem to be in a straight line known as "Orion's Belt". The three stars are Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka.

Source: Author MarkThames

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
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