Quiz of the Planets

Welcome to the quiz on the solar system. In recent decades our understanding of the planets has undergone a revolution as space probes have shown wonders unexpected and have raised new questions. Expect the unexpected.

This quiz will test your basic knowledge of our own solar system. Do you catch just a glimpses of an occasional news byte on TV about planet exploration or do you stay tuned to space probe progress reports with baited breath and consume astronomy magazines?

What is your age?
Under 18 Years Old
18 to 24 Years Old
25 to 30 Years Old
31 to 40 Years Old
41 to 50 Years Old
51 to 60 Years Old
Over 60 Years Old
What is your gender?
Male
Female
1. How many planets (excluding dwarf planets) are there in our solar system?
9
8
7
6
5
10
2. Is Pluto one of these Planets?
Yes. It was idscovered in 1936.
No. Pluto was reclassified as a dwaft planet.
There is no such body in our solar system.
3. The largest planet in the solar system is
Saturn
Jupiter
Earth
Neptune
Mars
4. What planet has the hottest surface?
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Mars
5. What is the main reason for this planet being so hot?
It has little or no atmosphere to shield the planet from radiation.
It has no magnetic field to shield the planet from radiation.
It is so close to the sun.
It has an extremely thick atmosphere which acts like a greenhouse to trap radiation.
6. Orbiting which planet do we find the 4 "Galilean moons"?
Uranus
Neptune
Jupiter
Saturn
7. Why why these Galilean moons so called?
They were discovered by the Galileo space probe.
The name was randomly assigned.
They were the moons first seen by the 17th century astronomer Galileo when he viewed Jupiter through the telescope for the first time.
The were named for the head of NASA Mr Galileo.
8. What are the names of the Galilean moons.
Metis, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
Io, Europa, Adrastea and Callisto
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
Io, Europa, Ganymede and Amalthea
Amalthea, Pasiphaë, Sinope and Lysithea
Elara, Themisto, Io and Europa,
9. What is the largest moon in the solar system?
Earth's moon
Titan
Triton
Ganymede
Callisto
Miranda
10. How many moons does Jupiter have as of 2007?
12
15
23
35
63
151
11. What is the highest mountain in the solar system?
Mt Everest on Earth.
Olympus Mons on Jupiter.
Olympus Mons on Mars.
Maat Mons on Venus.
12. The Russian probe Venera that landed on Venus was built to withstand the pressure of how many earth atmospheres?
15
50
100
150
500
The probe had no need for such specifications because Venus has little of no atmosphere.
13. Meteoric impacts on Mercury were first viewed
from Mariner 10 in 1974.
from Venara 3 in 1966.
from Voyager 1 in 1976.
Pioneer 10 in 1972.
14. Photos of these craters were viewed by a Pentagon general who proclaimed "Wow, that looks just like 'Nam".
False
True
15. Which planet, dwarf planet or moon is the most volcanically active body in the solar system?
Mars
Miranda
Io
Triton
Titan
Venus
16. What is the deepest cannon in the solar system?
The Cliffs of Miranda.
Valles Marineris on Mars.
Valles Marineris on Venus.
The Grand Cannon on Earth.
17. How many moons does Pluto have?
1
2
3
5
6
18. What was the main contribution made by Johannes Kepler made to knowledge of the solar system?
He proposed that the solar system was heliocentric, that is, the planets and moons revolve around the sun.
He first observed the planets using a telescope.
He came up with the mathematical proof for a heliocentric solar system with the eponymous laws of planetary motion.
He discovered Pluto.
19. How many moons does Saturn have?
9
21
36
45
60
101
20. The moon __________ around the planet __________ is covered with an ice sheet on top a watery ocean.
Titan, Saturn
Europa, Saturn
Titan, Neptune
Europa, Jupiter
Titan, Jupiter
Callisto, Jupiter
21. Which planet is named after the Roman god of the sea?
Neptune
Uranus
Saturn
Jupiter
22. Percival Lowell's observations about Mars are still valid today
True
False
23. Which 2 space probes launched in 1977 changed our understanding of the outer planets and their moons, including the discovery of many more moons before leaving the solar system forever?
Mariner 1 and 2
Viking 1 and 2
Apollo 11 and 12
Voyager 1 and 2
24. What are the moons of Mars called?
Miranda and Mimas
Enceladus and Hyperion
Tethys and Dione
Deimos and Phobos
Rhea and Iapetus
Mars doesn't have any moons
25. What is the Kuiper belt?
A belt of asteroids between Mars and Jupiter.
One of the bands on Jupiiter
A region past Neptune with comet type objects.
One of the rings of Saturn.
26. The red spot on Jupiter is
a plume from a surface volcano.
A storm system 3 times the size of the earth akin to a hurricane on earth.
A moon caught in the Jovian atmoshere.
A landmass peaking up through the clouds.
27. What is a comet?
A rock like object.
An ice and dust object.
A heavy iron rock object.
An expelled part of the sun.
28. When does Haley's Comet returns to the inner area of the solar system?
Every 76 years.
Every 80 years.
Every 3 years.
Every 1500 years.
It has never returned.

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