FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

Siriusly speaking! Trivia Quiz

This is a quiz on the star Sirius.

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

Author
almach

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
249,970

Updated
Jan 05 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
1297

Question 1 of 10

1. Sirius is known as the __________ star. Hint

cat

dog

movie

bear

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Sirius resides in what constellation? Hint

Canis Minor

Canis Major

Ursa Major

Ursa Minor

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Sirius is part of the winter triangle.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Sirius rotates more quickly than our Sun.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Sirius is about 8.6 light years distant, making it the ___________ star system to our Sun (not counting brown dwarves). Hint

closest

ninth closest

third closest

fifth closest

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Sirius (A), the star we see in the sky, has a companion star (Sirius B) which is actually hotter than Sirius A.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. The name "Sirius" comes from the Greek word for? Hint

Bright

Dog

Searing

Leader

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. Sirius B was the second star identified as a white dwarf star.

True

False

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Sirius A and Sirius B are separated by about the same distance as the... Hint

Sun and Earth

Sun and Jupiter

Sun and Mercury

Sun and Uranus

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky.

True

False

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Sirius is known as the __________ star.

Answer: dog

Originally, the name only referred to the star itself, not the entire constellation as today. Sirius is known colloquially as the Dog Star because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Greater Dog).

2. Sirius resides in what constellation?

Answer: Canis Major

Canis Major is one of Orion's hunting dogs, Canis Minor is the other. Ursa Major and Minor are the larger and lesser bear.

3. Sirius is part of the winter triangle.

Answer: True

The winter triangle consists of Sirius in Canis Major, Betelguese in Orion, and Procyon in Canis Minor. Sirius at 8.7 light years distant, and Procyon, about 11.4 light years distant, are relatively close. Betelguese is about 600 light years distant from us and is a red giant star and about 1,000 times larger then our Sun.

4. Sirius rotates more quickly than our Sun.

Answer: True

Sirius rotates in just 5.5 days, compared to our Sun's rotation of about 30 days.

5. Sirius is about 8.6 light years distant, making it the ___________ star system to our Sun (not counting brown dwarves).

Answer: fifth closest

Of fully developed stars, only the Alpha Centauri system (triple star) at 4.3 light years, Barnard's star at 6.0 light years, Wolf 359 at 7.7 light years, and the Lalande 21185 system at 8.3 light years are closer. In 2013, a double brown dwarf system, WISE 1049-5319, has been discovered 6.6 light years away.

6. Sirius (A), the star we see in the sky, has a companion star (Sirius B) which is actually hotter than Sirius A.

Answer: True

Sirius B is a white dwarf star at 24,800 degrees Kelvin, while Sirius A is radiating at about 10,000 degrees Kelvin. Our Sun radiates at around 6,000 degrees Kelvin.

7. The name "Sirius" comes from the Greek word for?

Answer: Searing

It is also from another Greek word - Scorcher.

8. Sirius B was the second star identified as a white dwarf star.

Answer: False

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar ideintifed Sirius B as a white dwarf star in 1930, making it the first such star identified. Sirius B was actually discovered in 1862 by Alvan Graham Clark, the famous telescope maker. Sirius B is sometimes referred to as the "Pup". A white dwarf star is a "dying" star that is about the size of the Earth.

9. Sirius A and Sirius B are separated by about the same distance as the...

Answer: Sun and Uranus

Sirius A and B are separated by about 20 AU, about the same as the Sun-Uranus. One AU (astronomical unit) is the average distance between the Sun and Earth, about 93 million miles.

10. Sirius is the brightest star in Earth's night sky.

Answer: True

Only our Sun, Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Mars (at opposition), and the occasional extra bright comet, are brighter objects in our sky. Of course, a supernova could outshine even our Sun!

Source: Author almach

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor crisw before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Related Quizzes

This quiz is part of series It's a Dog's Life:

Dog themed quizzes across different categories.

  1. Another Dose of Doggerel Average
  2. Fractured Dog Breeds Average
  3. Welcome to the Celebrity Zoo Very Easy
  4. Yours Truly, The Dog Warden Easier
  5. Dog Got Your Tongue? Very Easy
  6. Do you DOG? Easier
  7. Walk the Dog Easier
  8. The Dogs of War Average
  9. 'They Eat Dogs Here' Average
  10. It's Biting You Average
  11. Fluffy and Friends: Dogs in Books Average
  12. Top Dogs At The Movies Easier

Referenced Topics

Science Vocabulary Astronomy Names Moons Greek Language The Sun Brown Mars White Venus Uranus Jupiter Greeks: Famous & Historical Hunting

Other Destinations

Explore Other Quizzes by almach

Go to Astronomy Quizzes

More Stars Quizzes

FunTrivia Homepage