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The Solar System Revisited Trivia Quiz

Some interesting things you may not know about our solar system.

A multiple-choice quiz by Syfir. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Syfir

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
142,702

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
2969

Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (5/10), spaismunky (9/10), 1995Tarpon (10/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Some scientists consider Cruithne to be a moon. Around which planet does it orbit? Hint

Earth

Saturn

Jupiter

Mars

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Question 2 of 10

2. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has defined what a planet is.

True

False

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Question 3 of 10

3. Pluto and Charon are sometimes considered to be a "double planet" system. What other planet is sometimes considered to be a part of a double planet system? Hint

Venus

Earth

Jupiter

Neptune

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Question 4 of 10

4. This moon's average orbital distance from its host planet is the closest of any moon in the solar system. Hint

Charon

Cordelia

Phobos

Pan

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Question 5 of 10

5. The solar system is filled with many uniquely named objects. Which of the following is NOT the name of a type of object in the solar system? Hint

Proteome

Centaurs

Cubewanos

Plutinos

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Question 6 of 10

6. There is no sound in space.

True

False

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Question 7 of 10

7. What was the first successful interplanetary spacecraft? Hint

Pioneer 1

Voyager 1

Mariner 2

Gemini 3

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Question 8 of 10

8. Which spacecraft was the first to safely land on another planet? Hint

Gemini 5

Apollo 11

Viking 1

Mariner 2

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Question 9 of 10

9. While some comets are only visible with the help of a telescope, this comet, seen in 1965, was visible to the naked eye even during the day! Which comet was it? Hint

Hyakutake

Ikeya-Seki

Temple-Tuttle

Borrelly

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Question 10 of 10

10. It was once hypothesized that there was a planet closer to the sun than Mercury. What was this planet called? Hint

Athena

Alderaan

Vulcan

Gamoray

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 01 2024 : Guest 174: 5/10
Oct 23 2024 : spaismunky: 9/10
Oct 21 2024 : 1995Tarpon: 10/10
Oct 21 2024 : james1947: 10/10
Oct 21 2024 : GoodwinPD: 10/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Some scientists consider Cruithne to be a moon. Around which planet does it orbit?

Answer: Earth

Cruithne was discovered in 1986 and takes 770 years to complete its orbit. Other scientists don't consider it a moon at all because it's orbit is horseshoe shaped.

2. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has defined what a planet is.

Answer: True

The IAU recently did issue a definition causing Pluto to be dropped from the list of planets. It is still considered a dwarf planet though.

3. Pluto and Charon are sometimes considered to be a "double planet" system. What other planet is sometimes considered to be a part of a double planet system?

Answer: Earth

The other part of the pair is, of course, the moon.

4. This moon's average orbital distance from its host planet is the closest of any moon in the solar system.

Answer: Phobos

Phobos's orbit is about 3,700 miles or 6,000 kilometers about Mars.

5. The solar system is filled with many uniquely named objects. Which of the following is NOT the name of a type of object in the solar system?

Answer: Proteome

A plutino is an object that orbits the sun twice in the time it takes Neptune to orbit the sun three times. A cubewano is a object near a plutino that is not attracted into resonances with Neptune. Centaurs are comet-like objects that are too large to be classified as comets.

6. There is no sound in space.

Answer: False

While it is true there is none detectable by the human ear, Chandra X-ray Observatory recently detected a sound wave that is more than a million billion times below what a human could hear.

7. What was the first successful interplanetary spacecraft?

Answer: Mariner 2

Launched on August 27, 1962 Mariner 2 became the first spacecraft to successfully encounter another planet when it flew past Venus in December 1962.

8. Which spacecraft was the first to safely land on another planet?

Answer: Viking 1

Viking 1 landed on Mars on July 20, 1976. While some sources report that Venera 4 landed on Venus several years earlier it actually stopped broadcasting at an altitude of 24.96km. The Venera 7 broadcast from the surface of Venus in 1970 but it had crashed and did not land safely. (Thanks to shady shaker for bringing this up)

9. While some comets are only visible with the help of a telescope, this comet, seen in 1965, was visible to the naked eye even during the day! Which comet was it?

Answer: Ikeya-Seki

Comet Ikeya-Seki is regarded as one of the brightest, if not the brightest, comets of the 20th century.

10. It was once hypothesized that there was a planet closer to the sun than Mercury. What was this planet called?

Answer: Vulcan

Vulcan was proposed by French Mathematician Jean Joseph Le Verrier.

Alderaan is a fictional planet from Star Wars.
Gamoray is a fictional planet from Battlestar Galactica.
Athena is a fictional planet from Tom Godwin's "Space Prison".

Source: Author Syfir

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