Astronomy Common Knowledge Quiz.......

[ToraToraTora]

Ok I am often told that what to me is common knowledge, especially in astronomy, is not. So I thought I'd devise a little quiz to test the water. Have a go without googling or reading the other answers first.

1) What are the 8 planets in order going out from the sun?

2) What is the largest planet on our solar system?

3) What star is the brightest in our sky and how is it found in the sky?

4) What is the hottest planet in our solar system?

5) How far away is the closest star system to ours?

6) What is the star over the north pole and how is it found in the sky?

7) What is the crab nebula the remnants of?

8) What lies in the orbital space between Mars and Jupiter?

9)  What are the 4 Galilean moons of Jupiter

10) What is a pulsar?

 

 

[ToraToraTora]

I've poste TOS and STNG ones in the past. SW is not my best subject but I'd give it a go.

[naomi24]

I got them because I am interested in astronomy.  Star Wars, however, I wouldn't attempt.  I'd be a real thicko with that.

[Mozz71]

I'm not sure if anyone would be that interested in it. It's a bit too niche.

[ToraToraTora]

13:35 well do an entry level one!

[Mozz71]

I'll have a think up of some questions.

[perseverer]

1 Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

2 Jupiter

3 Sirius, below, left of Orion

4Venus

5 3.5 light years

6 Polaris, using stars of the Plough as a pointer

7 Supernova

8 Asteroid belt

9 Europa, Ganymede, Io and Callisto

10 Neutron star emiiting electromagnetic radiation

Not sure, obviously of one or two, but then I am interested in astronomy, and I don't think a class doing GCSE astronomy is really a representative group for common knowledge.

 

[Mozz71]

Tora, as requested 🙂

 

https://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Media-and-TV/Question1884992.html

[ToraToraTora]

13:56 8.66/10 - very good

10 is 2 thirds right an 5 is wrong.

[bednobs]

how many pupils do you reckon take gcse astronomy per year TTT?

[newmodarmy]

Could number 3 not be the Sun?

[newmodarmy]

This GCSE past paper doesn't seem too bad. Some very easy marks are available, but I'd struggle on some other bits. I have never met anyone whose done Astronomy GCSE.

https://qualifications.pearson.com/content/dam/pdf/GCSE/Astronomy/2017/Exam-materials/1as0-02-que-20220629.pdf

[sandyRoe]

I think I know the answer to No 3.

[newmodarmy]

So do I sandy. The question asked needs clarifying. If it wants the brightest star in the NIGHT sky it's Sirius I thought, although doesn't the answer change at different times of the year? If it's not the night sky, then it's our Sun

[Togo]

The brightest night time star is Sirius. Down and to the East of Orions belt the 3 in a row that themselves are bright. Another star in Orion is Betelguese which is above and left of the hunters belt. It is very interesting in that most serious watchers of Red Giants are expecting it to blow any time soon. The star names and locations were covered in our sciece leesons at Grammar School in the aerly 60s. I am still fascinated and if you do not have the skymap app on your mobile phones you are missing out.  

[Togo]

Number 5 is making me think. The early Med and Adriatic civilisations were of course instrumental in naming a lot of our night time stars and Galaxys and I recall that the half man half horse Greek myth is the clue but is it the Latin for closes or first that is the Star system.  

[Togo]

I cant remember whether it is Alpha Centaura or Proxima Centaura. I know one is a star and the other the system 

[Togo]

7. Was that a Super Nova(not a Champagne one)

[Togo]

Ah    ... didn't see that Perse had got that one. 

[ToraToraTora]

17:41 Yes betelgeuse is due to go supernova and as it's 700 light years away it may well already have done so!

[ToraToraTora]

18:16 yes it was a supernova, the pulsar is what remains.