Planet Pursuit
MCQ
Which planet has a day longer than its year?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Uranus
D. Mars
B. Venus
Explanation: Venus rotates extremely slowly; a day (sunrise → sunrise) is about 243 Earth days, while its year is 225 days.
True or False
Saturn is the least dense planet and could float in water if there were a large enough ocean.
True
Explanation: Saturn’s average density is less than water (~0.69 g/cm³).
"Which planet receives sunlight in just 8 minutes and 20 seconds after it leaves the Sun?"
Earth
MCQ
Which star is expected to become a supernova first?
A. Betelgeuse
B. Sirius
C. Vega
D. Polaris
A. Betelgeuse
"Who was the American astronaut that became the first human to walk on the Moon?"
Neil Armstrong
MCQ
Which planet has ice in permanently shadowed craters despite being very close to the Sun?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Mars
D. Earth
A. Mercury
Explanation: Shadowed craters near Mercury’s poles never see sunlight, allowing water ice to exist.
MCQ:
What color is the hottest star in the universe?
A) Red B) Blue C) Yellow D) White
B) Blue 
"Which planet receives sunlight in just 6 minutes after it leaves the Sun?"
Venus
MCQ
Which star is the brightest in the night sky?
A. Betelgeuse
B. Sirius
C. Vega
D. Alpha Centauri
B. Sirius
Explanation: Sirius in Canis Major shines the brightest due to its intrinsic luminosity and proximity to Earth (~8.6 light-years).
MCQ
Which type of galaxy is shaped like a flattened disk with spiral arms?
A. Elliptical
B. Spiral
C. Irregular
D. Lenticular
B. Spiral
Explanation: Our Milky Way is a spiral galaxy with a central bulge and arms extending outward.
MCQ
"Which planet has nine rings made mostly of ice particles?"
A. Jupiter
B. Uranus
C. Neptune
D. Saturn
D. Saturn
MCQ
Which planet has retrograde rotation, meaning it spins backward?
A. Venus
B. Uranus
C. Mercury
D. Mars
A. Venus
Explanation: On Venus, the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.
MCQ
"Which planet does sunlight take roughly 13 minutes to reach?"
A. Saturn
B. Venus
C. Jupiter
D. Mars
D. Mars
MCQ
Which is the largest type of star by volume?
A. White dwarf
B. Red supergiant
C. Neutron star
D. Main sequence star
B. Red supergiant
Explanation: Stars like Betelgeuse can expand to hundreds of times the Sun’s radius.
MCQ:
Pluto’s orbit is:
A. A perfect circle
B. Straight
C. Very oval-shaped (elliptical)
D. Tiny and fast
C. Very oval-shaped (elliptical)
MCQ:
Which planet's orbit does Pluto sometimes cross?
A. Jupiter
B. Neptune
C. Mars
D. Saturn
B. Neptune
MCQ
Which planet emits more heat than it receives from the Sun?
A. Saturn
B. Jupiter
C. Neptune
D. Uranus
B. Jupiter
Explanation: Jupiter radiates leftover heat from its formation and gravitational contraction.
MCQ
"How long does it take sunlight to reach the planet Jupiter?"
A. 13 minutes
B. 25 minutes
C. 43 minutes
D. 60 minutes
E. None of the above
C. 43 minutes
MCQ
Which galaxy is closest to the Milky Way?
A. Andromeda
B. Triangulum
C. Whirlpool
D. Messier 87
A. Andromeda
Explanation: Andromeda is ~2.5 million light-years away and is on a slow collision course with the Milky Way.
MCQ
Which planet has extreme winds reaching over 2,000 km/h?
A. Neptune
B. Jupiter
C. Saturn
D. Uranus
A. Neptune
Explanation: Neptune’s winds are the fastest in the solar system, despite being far from the Sun.
MCQ
"Which planet has the largest moon, Triton, that orbits in the opposite direction of most other moons in the solar system?"
A. Jupiter
B. Uranus
C. Neptune
D. Saturn
C. Neptune
True or False
Mercury has ice at its poles despite being so close to the Sun.
True
Explanation: Permanently shadowed craters at Mercury’s poles trap water ice.
True or False:
Jupiter is so far from the Sun that sunlight takes over an hour to get there.
Also, give a reason for your answer for full points
False: It takes about 43 minutes, not a full hour.
MCQ
Which star is also called Alpha Centauri C?
A. Proxima Centauri
B. Sirius
C. Barnard’s Star
D. Vega
A. Proxima Centauri
Explanation: Proxima Centauri is the closest known star to the Sun and part of the Alpha Centauri system.
MCQ
Which of the following is not true about black holes?
A. They warp spacetime due to extreme gravity
B. Light cannot escape past the event horizon
C. They can be observed directly with optical telescopes
D. They can merge to form bigger black holes
C. They can be observed directly with optical telescopes
Explanation: Black holes themselves cannot be seen because light cannot escape. We detect them via effects on nearby matter, X-rays, or gravitational waves.