Factburst Quiz
Compare objects and events at very different scales in a 10-question space quiz. You will encounter the asteroid belt, planetary temperature and density, Mercury's orbit, the first lunar landing, stellar explosions and black holes. Use the distinction between appearance and physical properties to guide you, especially where a question concerns brightness rather than size or temperature.
Before you start
Keep scale in mind: planets, stars and galaxies are different kinds of objects, and the clues that describe them can help narrow down answers.
Here is a preview of what you will explore. Answers stay hidden until you finish playing.
Choose one answer per question. When you finish, review your results and read the explanations to understand any mistakes.
10 of 10 questions currently include additional explanations.
Read the Space learning guide for more context.
Learn from the answers
Check the answers, understand what you missed and take something new into your next quiz.
Correct answer: Asteroid belt
The main asteroid belt lies between Mars and Jupiter. It contains rocky and metallic bodies ranging from tiny fragments to dwarf planet Ceres.
Correct answer: Venus
Venus has the highest average surface temperature of the planets. Its dense carbon-dioxide atmosphere traps heat through an intense greenhouse effect, making Venus hotter than Mercury even though Mercury is closer to the Sun.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Saturn
Saturn has the lowest mean density of the planets, about 0.69 grams per cubic centimetre—less than the density of water. This is an average density, not a claim that Saturn is solid or could literally float in an ocean.
Correct answer: General relativistic curvature of spacetime
General relativity explains the anomalous precession of Mercury's perihelion.
Correct answer: Apollo 11
Apollo 11 carried Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the first crewed Moon landing on 20 July 1969, while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the command module.
Further reading: www.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Venus
Venus is often the brightest planet in Earth's sky because it is relatively close to Earth and reflects a large amount of sunlight from its cloud-covered atmosphere. It is commonly visible near sunrise or sunset, earning the names morning star and evening star.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Event horizon
The event horizon is the boundary around a black hole beyond which light and other signals cannot escape to distant observers. It is not a solid surface; it marks a limit in the paths that signals can take through spacetime.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Supernova
A supernova is a powerful stellar explosion. Some occur when massive stars reach the end of their lives, while Type Ia supernovae involve thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs in binary systems.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Thermonuclear disruption of a white dwarf
A Type Ia supernova is a thermonuclear explosion involving a white dwarf. These events produce characteristic spectra and have been important to astronomy because they can be used to estimate distances to faraway galaxies.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
Correct answer: Apparent magnitude
Apparent magnitude describes how bright a celestial object looks from Earth. The scale runs backwards: smaller or negative values mean an object appears brighter, while larger values mean it appears fainter.
Further reading: science.nasa.gov ↗
COMMUNITY
Have a question about an answer, spotted something interesting, or want to compare scores? Join the FactBurst forum discussion.
Log in to leave a comment.
Log in