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What Happened To Pluto? Trivia Quiz

A few years ago Pluto, formerly known as the ninth planet in the Solar System, was demoted to dwarf planet. How much do you know about Pluto?

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

Author
nmerr

Time
3 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
330,617

Updated
Jul 02 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1235

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which astronomer is credited with having discovered Pluto? Hint

James Callahan

Robert Oppenheimer

Clyde Tombaugh

Gary McKell

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Question 2 of 10

2. In Roman mythology, Pluto is the god of the underworld. Who is his Greek counterpart? Hint

Hades

Zeus

Ares

Apollo

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Question 3 of 10

3. Pluto has several moons, or natural satellites. Which of these are three of them? Hint

Io, Titan, Nix

Phobos, Deimos, Charon

Charon, Nix, Hydra

Miranda, Oberon, Phobos

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Question 4 of 10

4. Plutonium is named for the planet Pluto. What is the chemical symbol for plutonium? Hint

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Question 5 of 10

5. Pluto has what type of orbit? Hint

circular

radial

parabolic

elliptical

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Question 6 of 10

6. Pluto is not only a dwarf planet but is also known as what? Hint

plutoid

parabola

neutroid

deltoid

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Question 7 of 10

7. What is the Kuiper Belt? Hint

an accessory found in any men's department

an area of the Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune

a cluster of white dwarf stars

another name for the Milky Way

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Question 8 of 10

8. Can you name the spacecraft that was launched in 2006 and intended to do a flyby survey of Pluto? Hint

Voyager

New Horizons

Challenger

Discovery

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Question 9 of 10

9. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. What is the name of the largest dwarf planet known at that date?
Hint

Eris

Cur

Titan

Dionysus

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Question 10 of 10

10. Pluto has an atmosphere composed mainly of what gas? Hint

argon

hydrogen

nitrogen

radon

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which astronomer is credited with having discovered Pluto?

Answer: Clyde Tombaugh

Astronomer Clyde Tombaugh has been credited for discovering Pluto in 1930. After building telescopes as a young man, he brought his telescopes to Lowell Observatory in Arizona where he was employed for sixteen years.

2. In Roman mythology, Pluto is the god of the underworld. Who is his Greek counterpart?

Answer: Hades

Both Pluto and Hades are gods of the underworld. An eleven year old student named Venetia Burney chose the name Pluto for the newly discovered planet. She wanted the name to match the other planets which were named for Roman gods.

3. Pluto has several moons, or natural satellites. Which of these are three of them?

Answer: Charon, Nix, Hydra

Pluto's largest moon, Charon, was discovered in 1978 by astronomer James Christy. Nix and Hydra were discovered in 2005 by a team of astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope. Nix is the Greek goddess of darkness and Hydra is the serpent with nine heads. The fourth moon (S/2011 P 1) was discovered in 2011.

4. Plutonium is named for the planet Pluto. What is the chemical symbol for plutonium?

Answer: Pu

The atomic number for plutonium is 94. It is considered a metal.

5. Pluto has what type of orbit?

Answer: elliptical

Not only is Pluto's orbit elliptical, or oval-shaped, its orbit crosses the orbit of Neptune.

6. Pluto is not only a dwarf planet but is also known as what?

Answer: plutoid

A plutoid is a dwarf planet that is further out in space than Neptune.

7. What is the Kuiper Belt?

Answer: an area of the Solar System beyond the orbit of Neptune

Pluto is now considered to be the largest object in the Kuiper Belt, named for astronomer Gerard Kuiper. The Kuiper belt extends beyond Neptune's orbit.

8. Can you name the spacecraft that was launched in 2006 and intended to do a flyby survey of Pluto?

Answer: New Horizons

Launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida in 2006, New Horizons was scheduled to reach Pluto in 2015, nearly a decade after its launch. It passed Jupiter in early 2007.

9. Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006. What is the name of the largest dwarf planet known at that date?

Answer: Eris

Eris is named for the Greek goddess of strife. Due to its large size, Eris was once believed to be the tenth planet.

10. Pluto has an atmosphere composed mainly of what gas?

Answer: nitrogen

Methane and carbon monoxide also exist in Pluto's atmosphere but in smaller amounts.

Source: Author nmerr

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