Astrophysics Quizzes: Explore the Universe's Mysteries

Question 1

What is the term for the rotating disc of gas and dust that surrounds a black hole?

Accepted Answer

Accretion disc

Answer

Protostar

Answer

Galaxy

Answer

Planetary nebula

Question 2

Which spacecraft was the first to land humans on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

Apollo 11

Answer

Voyager 1

Answer

Hubble Space Telescope

Answer

International Space Station

Question 3

What is the name of the closest star to our solar system?

Accepted Answer

Proxima Centauri

Answer

Sirius

Answer

Betelgeuse

Answer

Vega

Question 4

What is the phenomenon where light bends as it passes through a gravitational field called?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational lensing

Answer

Doppler shift

Answer

Time dilation

Answer

Redshift

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental force in the universe?

Accepted Answer

Frictional force

Answer

Gravitational force

Answer

Electromagnetic force

Answer

Strong nuclear force

Question 6

What type of star is our Sun classified as?

Accepted Answer

Yellow dwarf

Answer

Red dwarf

Answer

Blue giant

Answer

Red giant

Question 7

Which of the following is the prevailing scientific theory that explains the formation and evolution of the universe?

Accepted Answer

Big Bang theory

Answer

Steady-state theory

Answer

Oscillating universe theory

Answer

Multiverse theory

Question 8

What is the name of the supermassive black hole located at the center of our galaxy?

Accepted Answer

Sagittarius A*

Answer

Cygnus X-1

Answer

M87*

Answer

Ton 618

Question 9

Which of the following is the largest known cosmic structure?

Accepted Answer

Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall

Answer

Local Group

Answer

Virgo Supercluster

Answer

Sloan Great Wall

Question 10

What is the primary process by which stars generate energy?

Accepted Answer

Nuclear fusion

Answer

Nuclear fission

Answer

Chemical combustion

Answer

Gravitational collapse

Question 11

Identify the celestial object that is NOT classified as a star:

Accepted Answer

Brown dwarf

Answer

Red dwarf

Answer

White dwarf

Answer

Supergiant

Question 12

Based on scientific estimations, what is the approximate age of the universe?

Accepted Answer

13.8 billion years

Answer

10 billion years

Answer

18 billion years

Answer

25 billion years

Question 13

Which type of galaxy is characterized by a recognizable spiral shape?

Accepted Answer

Spiral galaxy

Answer

Elliptical galaxy

Answer

Lenticular galaxy

Answer

Irregular galaxy

Question 14

What is the name of the theoretical singularity where gravity becomes infinite at the center of a black hole?

Accepted Answer

Singularity

Answer

Event horizon

Answer

Accretion disk

Answer

Black hole core

Question 15

Which cosmological theory proposes an initial singularity as the origin of the universe?

Accepted Answer

Big Bang theory

Answer

Steady-state theory

Answer

Multiverse theory

Answer

Quantum cosmology

Question 16

Which type of variable star undergoes periodic fluctuations in brightness?

Accepted Answer

Cepheid variable

Answer

White dwarf

Answer

Red giant

Answer

Supernova

Question 17

Which subatomic particle is hypothesized to constitute dark matter, contributing to the gravitational effects observed in the universe?

Accepted Answer

Weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP)

Answer

Axion

Answer

Graviton

Answer

Higgs boson

Question 18

Which scientific mission was the first to successfully detect gravitational waves?

Accepted Answer

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

Answer

Hubble Space Telescope

Answer

Mars rovers

Answer

Voyager space probes

Question 19

Which measurement quantifies the apparent brightness of a star as observed from Earth?

Accepted Answer

Apparent magnitude

Answer

Absolute magnitude

Answer

Bolometric magnitude

Answer

Spectroscopic magnitude

Question 20

Which galaxy holds the distinction of being the most massive in the Local Group?

Accepted Answer

Andromeda Galaxy

Answer

Milky Way

Answer

Triangulum Galaxy

Answer

Small Magellanic Cloud

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT a shape classification for galaxies?

Accepted Answer

Globular

Answer

Elliptical

Answer

Spiral

Answer

Irregular

Question 22

Which of the following is the correct sequence of stellar evolution for a star with a mass similar to the Sun?

Accepted Answer

Main sequence -> Red giant -> White dwarf

Answer

Red giant -> Main sequence -> White dwarf

Answer

White dwarf -> Red giant -> Main sequence

Answer

White dwarf -> Main sequence -> Red giant

Question 23

What is the concept of cosmic redshift?

Accepted Answer

The redder an object appears, the faster it is moving away from us

Answer

The redder an object appears, the closer it is to us

Answer

The bluer an object appears, the closer it is to us

Answer

The bluer an object appears, the faster it is moving away from us

Question 24

Which of the following celestial objects is NOT a type of galaxy?

Accepted Answer

Globular cluster

Answer

Elliptical

Answer

Spiral

Answer

Irregular

Question 25

How does the parallax method help astronomers determine the distances to celestial objects?

Accepted Answer

By observing the apparent shift in an object's position from two different viewing angles

Answer

By measuring the time it takes light to travel from the object to Earth

Answer

By analyzing the object's brightness and color

Answer

By using radar to bounce signals off the object

Question 26

How does the bending of light by massive objects, known as gravitational lensing, support the idea that spacetime is curved?

Accepted Answer

It shows that massive objects can alter the path of light.

Answer

It demonstrates that gravity's strength decreases with distance.

Answer

It helps us determine the mass of faraway galaxies.

Answer

It has no practical use in the field of astronomy.

Question 27

What is the name given to the particles theorized to account for the missing mass in the universe?

Accepted Answer

Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs)

Answer

Neutrinos

Answer

Photons

Answer

Quarks

Question 28

Which telescope was instrumental in detecting gravitational waves for the first time?

Accepted Answer

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO)

Answer

Hubble Space Telescope

Answer

Chandra X-ray Observatory

Answer

Spitzer Space Telescope

Question 29

Which of the following forms of electromagnetic radiation has the shortest wavelength and highest energy?

Accepted Answer

Gamma rays

Answer

Radio waves

Answer

Microwaves

Answer

Infrared radiation

Question 30

Which physical property primarily determines the color of a star?

Accepted Answer

Surface temperature

Answer

Mass

Answer

Age

Answer

Size

Question 31

Which celestial body was previously classified as the ninth planet from the Sun but is now recognized as a dwarf planet?

Accepted Answer

Pluto

Answer

Ceres

Answer

Eris

Answer

Makemake

Question 32

Which type of astronomical object consists primarily of gas and dust and often serves as a birthplace for stars?

Accepted Answer

Nebula

Answer

Planet

Answer

Galaxy

Answer

Black hole

Question 33

Which fundamental force governs the attraction between objects possessing mass?

Accepted Answer

Gravitational force

Answer

Electromagnetic force

Answer

Strong force

Answer

Weak force

Question 34

Which of the following is the most abundant element in the universe, accounting for roughly three-quarters of its mass?

Accepted Answer

Hydrogen

Answer

Helium

Answer

Carbon

Answer

Oxygen

Question 35

Which type of galaxy, often featuring a bright central bulge and spiral arms extending outwards, is characterized by ongoing star formation?

Accepted Answer

Spiral galaxy

Answer

Elliptical galaxy

Answer

Lenticular galaxy

Answer

Irregular galaxy

Question 36

What is the name of the hypothetical particle that is theorized to be a major component of dark matter, a mysterious substance believed to account for most of the matter in the universe?

Accepted Answer

WIMP

Answer

Axion

Answer

Graviton

Answer

Neutrino

Question 37

For a low-mass star, what is the correct sequence of its stellar evolution stages, starting from the main sequence phase?

Accepted Answer

Main sequence → Red giant → White dwarf

Answer

Red giant → Main sequence → White dwarf

Answer

White dwarf → Red giant → Main sequence

Answer

Main sequence → White dwarf → Red giant

Question 38

What is the name of the instrument used by astronomers to measure the redshift of distant galaxies, a phenomenon caused by the expansion of the universe?

Accepted Answer

Spectroscope

Answer

Telescope

Answer

Microscope

Answer

Radiometer

Question 39

Which of the following is a consequence of the expansion of the universe, leading to the observation that distant galaxies appear to be moving away from us?

Accepted Answer

Hubble's law

Answer

Cosmic microwave background radiation

Answer

Big Bang theory

Answer

Formation of galaxies

Question 40

What is the name of the hypothetical boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing, not even light, can escape due to the intense gravitational forces?

Accepted Answer

Event horizon

Answer

Singularity

Answer

Black hole

Answer

Wormhole

Question 41

Which of the following is the name of the technique that astronomers use to study the chemical composition of stars by analyzing the light they emit or absorb?

Accepted Answer

Spectroscopy

Answer

Photometry

Answer

Radio astronomy

Answer

Gravitational lensing

Question 42

In astrophysics, what is a primary use of spectroscopy?

Accepted Answer

Determining the chemical makeup and physical traits of celestial objects

Answer

Measuring the distance to celestial objects

Answer

Classifying stars based on their spectral type

Question 43

Which of the following forces is **NOT** fundamental in astrophysics?

Accepted Answer

Friction

Answer

Strong nuclear force

Answer

Gravity

Answer

Electromagnetism

Question 44

What is the term for the hypothetical point at the center of a black hole where gravity is infinitely strong?

Accepted Answer

Singularity

Answer

Event horizon

Answer

Accretion disk

Answer

Hawking radiation

Question 45

Which type of galaxy is characterized by a flattened disk with spiral arms and a bright center?

Accepted Answer

Spiral galaxy

Answer

Elliptical galaxy

Answer

Irregular galaxy

Question 46

What is the name of the faint radiation that fills the universe and is thought to be the leftover glow from the Big Bang?

Accepted Answer

Cosmic microwave background

Answer

Hubble constant

Answer

Red shift

Answer

Dark matter

Question 47

What is the primary energy source that powers stars?

Accepted Answer

Nuclear fusion

Answer

Gravitational collapse

Answer

Chemical reactions

Answer

Electromagnetic radiation

Question 48

Which of the following is a type of planet that orbits a star outside our solar system?

Accepted Answer

Super-Earth

Answer

Dwarf planet

Answer

Asteroid

Answer

Comet

Question 49

Which theory describes the expansion and cooling of the universe from a very hot, dense state about 13.8 billion years ago?

Accepted Answer

Big Bang theory

Answer

Steady-state theory

Answer

Oscillating universe theory

Answer

Multiverse theory

Question 50

Which of the following is **NOT** a technique used to study astrophysical objects?

Accepted Answer

Microscopy

Answer

Spectroscopy

Answer

Telescopes

Answer

Gravitational waves

Question 51

What force is responsible for binding galaxies together?

Accepted Answer

Gravity

Answer

Strong nuclear force

Answer

Weak nuclear force

Answer

Electromagnetism