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Quiz about So You Think Youre a Space Nerd
Quiz about So You Think Youre a Space Nerd

So You Think You're a Space Nerd? Quiz


A human's brain is pretty big and can hold so much information, but do you know what's bigger? If you answered elephants, well I agree to disagree. The universe is so much bigger than elephants.

A multiple-choice quiz by lisbarber. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
lisbarber
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
349,924
Updated
Sep 10 24
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
5095
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 216 (7/10), Guest 208 (6/10), H_Himasha (10/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. A star's lifespan is determined by its what? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In the northern hemisphere, which of these is the only galaxy, other than our own Milky Way, untrained observers can see with the naked eye? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Serpens is which of the following? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which of the following is the oldest form of astronomy? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The sun is informally known, in layman's terms, as a what? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. According to early 21st century knowledge, the big bang happened approximately how many years ago? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Which of the following is the brightest object in absolute terms? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Although often credited to Hubble, there is much evidence that the galactic redshift was initally discovered by whom?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Comets range in periods of orbit. Short range period comets usually form in which of the following? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which type of star cluster has tight groups of thousands of old stars? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. A star's lifespan is determined by its what?

Answer: mass

The bigger the mass, the shorter the life of the star. The mass of a star comes from the amount of matter in the nebula it was formed in. The gas in the nebula is pulled together by gravity to form the star.
2. In the northern hemisphere, which of these is the only galaxy, other than our own Milky Way, untrained observers can see with the naked eye?

Answer: Andromeda

Cartwheel, Cigar, and Comet are actual galaxies, but only visible with a telescope. But if you live in the northern hemisphere on earth, you can see Andromeda galaxy without any special equipment! Andromeda looks like a puffy cirrus cloud in the night sky.
3. Serpens is which of the following?

Answer: constellation

Serpens means "the Serpent". The head of it, Serpens Caput, is to the west and the tail, Serpens Cauda, is to the east. In between it is Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. It is the only one of the named constellations that is split into two parts.
4. Which of the following is the oldest form of astronomy?

Answer: optical astronomy

Optical astronomy, also known as visible light astronomy, was, at first, naked eye observation recorded in images drawn by hand. This type of astronomy was used in the old days when we didn't have access to special gadgets. X-ray astronomy is the study of astronomy at x-ray wavelengths. Gamma ray astronomy is the study of celestial objects of the electric spectrum at its shortest wavelengths. Radio astronomy is the study of radiation at wavelengths bigger than one millimeter.
5. The sun is informally known, in layman's terms, as a what?

Answer: yellow dwarf

The sun is classified as G2, a type often (but incorrectly since astronomy does not actually use this classification) referred to as a yellow dwarf star. We see it as yellow from earth because of the atmospheric scattering of blue light.
6. According to early 21st century knowledge, the big bang happened approximately how many years ago?

Answer: 13.75 billion years

The big bang is a widely accepted theory of how the universe was formed. According to recent searches, scientists have said that the big bang happened 13.75 billion years ago. That's about 9.25 billion years before the earth was formed.
7. Which of the following is the brightest object in absolute terms?

Answer: quasar

Quasars are located at the centers of many galaxies, especially those rather distant from Earth. A quasar is the active, radiating center of a galaxy, theorized to surround a massive black hole.
8. Although often credited to Hubble, there is much evidence that the galactic redshift was initally discovered by whom?

Answer: Vesto Slipher

Although Vesto Slipher was actually the person that discovered the galactic redshift in 1912, Edwin Hubble was incorrectly credited with this discovery because he was the one that popularized this idea. Before this major discovery in 1912, other galaxies were called nebulae and their nature as such was theorized, but not yet finally proven.
9. Comets range in periods of orbit. Short range period comets usually form in which of the following?

Answer: Kuiper Belt

The short-term comets come from the Kuiper Belt while long-term comets come from the Oort Cloud. The asteroid belt, composed of more than a million objects larger than a kilometer in diameter as well as many more smaller ones, orbits the sun in between Jupiter and Mars. Comet Tail Belt doesn't exist.
10. Which type of star cluster has tight groups of thousands of old stars?

Answer: globular clusters

Globular clusters orbit a galactic core like a satellite (moon). Open clusters on the other hand are very loose and contain just under 100 stars. Andromeda clusters and stellar clusters don't exist.
Source: Author lisbarber

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