Look up. There is a lot going on.
Stars, shadows, and a few things that only look like stars.
Ten questions, with the answers explained. Try them in your head, then open each answer when you're ready.
Play this quiz →QUESTION 1 / 10
What is the Sun's visible surface layer called?
- Mantle
- Crust
- Stratosphere
- Photosphere
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Photosphere
The photosphere is the layer from which most visible sunlight escapes.
QUESTION 2 / 10
What galaxy contains our solar system?
- The Milky Way
- Triangulum
- Andromeda
- The Whirlpool Galaxy
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The Milky Way
Our solar system sits in the Milky Way, a barred spiral galaxy.
QUESTION 3 / 10
During a solar eclipse, what passes between Earth and the Sun?
- Venus
- The Moon
- Mars
- Jupiter
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The Moon
A solar eclipse happens when the Moon blocks some or all of the Sun from our view.
QUESTION 4 / 10
During a lunar eclipse, whose shadow falls on the Moon?
- Venus's
- Jupiter's
- Earth's
- Mars's
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Earth's
Earth moves between the Sun and Moon, and its shadow falls on the Moon.
QUESTION 5 / 10
What do we call a small space rock's bright streak as it burns through the atmosphere?
- An asteroid belt
- A meteor
- A nebula
- A moon phase
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A meteor
The streak is a meteor. A piece that reaches the ground is called a meteorite.
QUESTION 6 / 10
Which star is commonly called the North Star?
- Vega
- Polaris
- Sirius
- Betelgeuse
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Polaris
Polaris lies close to the north celestial pole, making it useful for finding north.
QUESTION 7 / 10
Which constellation is associated with a hunter and a three-star belt?
- Lyra
- Orion
- Scorpius
- Cassiopeia
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Orion
Orion's Belt is one of the constellation's most recognizable features.
QUESTION 8 / 10
What is a telescope mainly used to do?
- Measure earthquakes
- Record blood pressure
- Forecast tides by itself
- Observe distant objects
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Observe distant objects
A telescope collects and focuses light or other electromagnetic radiation from distant objects.
QUESTION 9 / 10
An astronomical unit is based on the average distance between which two objects?
- Earth and the Moon
- Earth and the Sun
- The Sun and Neptune
- Mars and Jupiter
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Earth and the Sun
One astronomical unit is about 150 million kilometers, close to the average Earth-Sun distance.
QUESTION 10 / 10
What is the usual name for a huge cloud of gas and dust in space?
- A crater
- An eclipse
- A glacier
- A nebula
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A nebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud. Some are regions where stars form.