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Quizzes > Science > Earth & Space Science

Think You Know the Cosmos? Test Your Knowledge Now!

Try our cosmos quiz or cosmospersona quiz and see how you score!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art planets and stars on dark blue background with bold text inviting players to test cosmic trivia smarts

Are you ready to blast off into a universe of fun? Our free cosmo quiz is your ultimate space challenge, designed to test your cosmic smarts and see if you can outshine the stars. Whether you're diving in as a casual stargazer or gearing up for an astronomy exam, this cosmos quiz delivers engaging cosmos trivia and key facts about galaxies, nebulae, and the forces that shape our celestial backyard. Warm up with fascinating space trivia , then stretch your brain with tricky questions on universe . From a quick space quiz refresher to an in-depth cosmospersona quiz, you'll boost your knowledge and uncover your space persona. Click 'Start' to launch your adventure and prove you're the ultimate space sleuth!

What is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
Saturn
Neptune
Earth
Jupiter is the most massive planet in our solar system, over 300 times the mass of Earth and more than twice the mass of all other planets combined. Its composition is mainly hydrogen and helium, resembling a small star in composition. NASA
Which galaxy is Earth located in?
Milky Way
Andromeda
Triangulum
Whirlpool
Earth and our solar system reside in the Milky Way galaxy, a barred spiral galaxy containing over 100 billion stars. It spans about 100,000 light-years in diameter and is part of the Local Group of galaxies. NASA
What is the name of our solar system's star?
The Sun
Alpha Centauri
Proxima Centauri
Betelgeuse
The Sun, also known as Sol, is the G-type main-sequence star at the center of our solar system. It accounts for about 99.86% of the system's mass and provides the energy necessary for life on Earth. NASA
How many planets orbit the Sun?
Eight
Seven
Nine
Ten
Since Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006, there are eight recognized planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. These planets vary widely in size, composition, and distance from the Sun. NASA
What force keeps planets in orbit around the Sun?
Gravity
Magnetism
Friction
Nuclear force
Gravity is the attractive force that pulls objects with mass toward each other, governing planetary orbits around the Sun. The Sun's large mass creates a gravitational field that keeps planets in their elliptical paths. NASA
Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
Mercury is the innermost planet in our solar system, orbiting the Sun at an average distance of about 58 million kilometers. It has a very thin atmosphere and experiences extreme temperature variations. NASA
What is the name of Earth's natural satellite?
The Moon
Europa
Titan
Phobos
Earth's only natural satellite is the Moon, often simply called 'the Moon' or Luna. It orbits our planet once every 27.3 days and influences tides due to its gravitational pull. NASA
What phenomenon causes the sky to appear blue on Earth?
Scattering of sunlight by air molecules
Reflection of ocean light
Absorption by ozone
Scattering by dust
The blue color of the daytime sky is primarily due to Rayleigh scattering, where molecules in the Earth's atmosphere scatter shorter (blue) wavelengths of sunlight more effectively than longer (red) wavelengths. This scattering spreads blue light across the sky in all directions. NASA
What is the asteroid belt mainly composed of?
Rocky debris
Ice particles
Gas clouds
Metallic fragments
The asteroid belt, lying between Mars and Jupiter, contains a vast number of irregularly shaped rocky bodies and minor planets. These asteroids are remnants from the early solar system that never formed into a planet. While some asteroids contain metal, the belt is primarily composed of rock and dust fragments. NASA
Which planet is known as the Red Planet?
Mars
Venus
Jupiter
Mercury
Mars is often called the Red Planet due to its reddish appearance, which comes from iron oxide (rust) on its surface. It has polar ice caps, the largest volcano in the solar system (Olympus Mons), and evidence of past water flows. NASA
What is the term for a moon that orbits a planet in the opposite direction of the planet's rotation?
Retrograde moon
Synchronous moon
Trojan moon
Irregular moon
A retrograde moon orbits a planet in the direction opposite to the planets rotation. Many of the outer solar systems small moons exhibit retrograde motion, suggesting they were captured by their planets gravity rather than forming in place. NASA
What are Saturn's rings primarily made of?
Ice and rock particles
Gas
Dust
Plasma
Saturns rings are composed mostly of water ice particles mixed with dust and rocky material. These particles range in size from tiny grains to objects several meters across. NASA
Which dwarf planet is located in the asteroid belt?
Ceres
Pluto
Eris
Makemake
Ceres is the largest object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter and is classified as a dwarf planet. It was the first dwarf planet to be visited by a spacecraft (Dawn) in 2015. NASA
What do we call the boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing can escape?
Event horizon
Photon sphere
Accretion disk
Singularity
The event horizon of a black hole is the boundary beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape its gravitational pull. This boundary is defined where the escape velocity equals the speed of light. NASA
What is the primary component of the Sun?
Hydrogen
Helium
Oxygen
Carbon
The Sun is composed of about 74% hydrogen by mass, which fuels nuclear fusion in its core. Hydrogen atoms fuse into helium, releasing energy that powers the Suns radiation. NASA
Which gas giant has the fastest winds in the solar system?
Neptune
Jupiter
Saturn
Uranus
Neptune exhibits the fastest winds of any planet in our solar system, reaching speeds of up to 2,100 kilometers per hour in its atmosphere. These high-speed winds form dark storm systems such as the Great Dark Spot. NASA
What is the term for a star that suddenly increases greatly in brightness due to a catastrophic explosion?
Supernova
Nova
Quasar
Magnetar
A supernova occurs when a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel and its core collapses, resulting in a catastrophic explosion that dramatically increases its brightness. This explosion disperses heavy elements into space, contributing to the cosmos chemical enrichment. NASA
What is the approximate age of the universe according to current measurements?
13.8 billion years
4.5 billion years
10 billion years
20 billion years
Current cosmological observations, including cosmic microwave background measurements by the Planck satellite, estimate the universes age at about 13.8 billion years. This age is calculated based on the expansion rate (Hubble constant) and models of cosmic evolution. NASA
Which phenomenon explains the observed redshift of distant galaxies, indicating the universes expansion?
Cosmological redshift
Doppler effect
Gravitational redshift
Interstellar scattering
Cosmological redshift is the stretching of light waves as space itself expands, shifting spectral lines of distant galaxies toward longer (red) wavelengths. This effect provides strong evidence for the expanding universe model. NASA
What is the name of the mission that first landed humans on the Moon?
Apollo 11
Apollo 13
Gemini 4
Artemis 1
Apollo 11 was the NASA mission that landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon on July 20, 1969. It marked the first time humans set foot on another celestial body. NASA
Which element is formed in the core of a red giant star during stellar nucleosynthesis?
Carbon
Iron
Hydrogen
Neon
In red giant stars, helium nuclei fuse through the triple-alpha process to form carbon in the stars core. This process occurs after the hydrogen in the core is exhausted and the star expands. NASA
What particle is believed to constitute most of the universes mass but has not been directly detected?
Dark matter
Neutrinos
Photons
Baryonic matter
Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible to current instruments, yet its gravitational effects are observed in galaxies and clusters. It is estimated to account for about 27% of the universes mass-energy content. NASA
What is the name of the region outside the event horizon of a rotating black hole where objects cannot remain stationary relative to distant observers?
Ergosphere
Singularity
Photon sphere
Accretion disk
A rotating (Kerr) black hole has an ergosphere outside its event horizon where spacetime is dragged around by the holes rotation, preventing objects from remaining stationary. Within the ergosphere, particles can gain energy and even escape extraction processes like the Penrose process. Wikipedia
What is the approximate proportion of dark energy in the current energy density of the universe?
68%
4%
26%
84%
Observations of the cosmic microwave background, supernovae, and large-scale structure indicate that dark energy constitutes about 68% of the total energy density of the universe, driving its accelerated expansion. Ordinary (baryonic) matter makes up roughly 5%, with dark matter at about 27%. NASA
At which Lagrange point between Earth and the Moon would a spacecraft maintain a stable position relative to both bodies?
L1
L2
L3
L4
The L1 Lagrange point lies between Earth and the Moon, where gravitational forces and orbital motion combine to allow a spacecraft to remain in a fixed position relative to both. This point provides a stable location for observation and communication relays. NASA
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Study Outcomes

  1. Assess Your Cosmic Knowledge -

    Use the cosmo quiz to evaluate how well you understand fundamental universe trivia, from star types to cosmic phenomena.

  2. Identify Star Formation Processes -

    Recognize the stages of star birth by exploring questions on nebulae and protostellar clouds in this cosmos quiz.

  3. Differentiate Celestial Objects -

    Distinguish between planets, stars, black holes, and other celestial bodies as you take this space quiz.

  4. Analyze Galactic Structures -

    Describe the main types of galaxies and their components, reinforcing your grasp on cosmic architecture.

  5. Apply Engaging Cosmos Trivia -

    Recall and share fun facts from the cosmospersona quiz to impress friends with your space smarts.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Gravitational Force and Orbits -

    Review Newton's law of universal gravitation F = G·(m₝·m₂)/r² and its role in governing planetary and satellite motion (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory). Understand orbital velocity v = √(GM/r) to see why low-Earth orbit satellites zip around the planet. Visualize how changing mass or distance alters gravitational pull for better performance on a cosmo quiz.

  2. Electromagnetic Spectrum and Stellar Spectra -

    Learn how stars emit light across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays (ESA/Herschel Archive). Use Wien's displacement law λmax = b/T to connect a star's peak wavelength to its surface temperature. Remember that absorption lines reveal chemical composition - a tip that shines on any cosmos trivia challenge.

  3. Stellar Life Cycle & H-R Diagram -

    Study the evolution from protostar to white dwarf, neutron star, or black hole using the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics). Memorize the spectral class mnemonic "Oh Be A Fine Girl, Kiss Me" (O, B, A, F, G, K, M) to quickly place stars by temperature and luminosity. This visual tool is a star player in your space quiz prep.

  4. Hubble's Law and Cosmic Expansion -

    Master Hubble's empirical relation v = H₀·d, where H₀ ≈ 70 km/s/Mpc, to link recessional velocity with distance (University of Cambridge Astrophysics Group). Grasp why galaxies appear to move away faster at greater distances, a foundation for modern cosmology. Frame this concept as "the universe stretching like dough" - an easy way to recall it during a cosmospersona quiz.

  5. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation -

    Explore the CMB's uniform 2.725 K blackbody spectrum measured by the Planck satellite (ESA/Planck Collaboration). Know that tiny temperature fluctuations (ΔT ~ 10❻❵ K) map early density variations leading to galaxy formation. This relic radiation factoid is a go-to in any space quiz on the cosmos.

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