Everyday Science · Topic 4
The solar system, space firsts and Pakistan's space programme.
Learn first
Learn the planets in order with their records, the first achievements in space, and Pakistan's satellites.
Practise
Try each question, then open the answer. MCQs 1–50 of 267.
1.How many planets are there in the solar system?
Answer: D. Eight
There are eight planets since Pluto was reclassified in 2006.
2.Which planet is closest to the Sun?
Answer: A. Mercury
Mercury is the innermost planet.
3.Which planet is farthest from the Sun?
Answer: C. Neptune
Neptune is the eighth and farthest planet.
4.Which is the largest planet in the solar system?
Answer: B. Jupiter
Jupiter is more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.
5.Which is the smallest planet in the solar system?
Answer: B. Mercury
Mercury is the smallest planet.
6.Which is the hottest planet in the solar system?
Answer: C. Venus
Venus's thick carbon dioxide atmosphere traps heat, making it hotter than Mercury.
7.Which planet is called the "Red Planet"?
Answer: C. Mars
Iron oxide in its soil gives Mars a red colour.
8.Which planet is famous for its bright rings?
Answer: D. Saturn
Saturn's rings are made of ice and rock.
9.Which planet is called the "Morning Star" or "Evening Star"?
Answer: A. Venus
Venus shines brightly near sunrise or sunset.
10.Which planet is known as Earth's "twin" because of its similar size?
Answer: B. Venus
Venus is close to Earth in size and mass.
11.Which planet rotates on its side, with an axis tilted about 98 degrees?
Answer: C. Uranus
Uranus rolls around the Sun on its side.
12.Which planet has the Great Red Spot, a giant storm?
Answer: C. Jupiter
The Great Red Spot is a storm larger than Earth.
13.Which planet has a day longer than its year?
Answer: D. Venus
Venus spins very slowly; one rotation takes longer than one orbit.
14.Which planet spins in the opposite direction to most others?
Answer: C. Venus
Venus has a retrograde rotation; the Sun rises in the west there.
15.Which is the highest volcano in the solar system?
Answer: B. Olympus Mons
Olympus Mons on Mars is about 22 km high.
16.Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet in which year?
Answer: A. 2006
The International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto in 2006.
17.Which body reclassified Pluto as a dwarf planet?
Answer: D. International Astronomical Union
The IAU's 2006 definition of a planet excluded Pluto.
18.The asteroid belt lies between which two planets?
Answer: B. Mars and Jupiter
Most asteroids orbit between Mars and Jupiter.
19.Which is the largest moon in the solar system?
Answer: C. Ganymede
Jupiter's moon Ganymede is the largest, bigger than Mercury.
20.Titan, a moon with a thick atmosphere, orbits which planet?
Answer: C. Saturn
Titan is Saturn's largest moon.
21.How many natural satellites does Earth have?
Answer: B. One
Earth has one natural satellite, the Moon.
22.About how long does the Moon take to orbit the Earth?
Answer: B. About 27 days
The Moon orbits the Earth in about 27.3 days.
23.Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?
Answer: C. It rotates once in the time it takes to orbit Earth
The Moon is tidally locked to Earth.
24.What causes ocean tides?
Answer: C. The gravity of the Moon and the Sun
The Moon's pull, helped by the Sun's, raises tides.
25.A solar eclipse happens when what comes between the Sun and the Earth?
Answer: B. The Moon
The Moon blocks the Sun's light.
26.A lunar eclipse happens when what comes between the Sun and the Moon?
Answer: B. The Earth
The Earth's shadow falls on the Moon.
27.A lunar eclipse can occur only on which phase of the Moon?
Answer: B. Full moon
The Earth is between the Sun and Moon only at full moon.
28.A solar eclipse can occur only on which phase of the Moon?
Answer: D. New moon
The Moon is between the Sun and Earth at new moon.
29.How long does the Earth take to go round the Sun?
Answer: A. About 365.25 days
The extra quarter day is why we add a leap day every four years.
30.How long does the Earth take to spin once on its axis?
Answer: C. About 24 hours
One rotation makes one day.
31.Day and night are caused by what?
Answer: C. The Earth's rotation on its axis
As the Earth spins, places turn towards and away from the Sun.
32.Seasons are caused by what?
Answer: B. The tilt of the Earth's axis
The Earth's axis is tilted about 23.5 degrees.
33.The Earth's axis is tilted at about what angle?
Answer: B. 23.5 degrees
The tilt is about 23.4–23.5 degrees.
34.The longest day in the Northern Hemisphere is around which date?
Answer: D. 21 June
The summer solstice falls around 21 June.
35.The shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere is around which date?
Answer: D. 22 December
The winter solstice falls around 21–22 December.
36.When are day and night about equal all over the world?
Answer: B. At the equinoxes
The equinoxes are around 21 March and 23 September.
37.What is the approximate distance between the Earth and the Sun?
Answer: D. About 150 million km
The average distance (1 astronomical unit) is about 150 million km.
38.What is the approximate distance between the Earth and the Moon?
Answer: A. About 384,000 km
The Moon is on average about 384,400 km away.
39.A light-year is a unit of what?
Answer: B. Distance
A light-year is the distance light travels in one year.
40.Which is the nearest star to the Earth?
Answer: B. The Sun
The Sun is our nearest star; Proxima Centauri is the next nearest.
41.After the Sun, which is the nearest star to Earth?
Answer: C. Proxima Centauri
Proxima Centauri is about 4.2 light-years away.
42.Which is the brightest star in the night sky?
Answer: A. Sirius
Sirius, the Dog Star, is the brightest star seen at night.
43.Which star stays almost fixed over the North Pole and is used for direction?
Answer: C. Polaris (Pole Star)
Polaris lies nearly above Earth's north pole.
44.Our galaxy is called what?
Answer: C. The Milky Way
The solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy.
45.Which is the nearest large galaxy to the Milky Way?
Answer: D. Andromeda
The Andromeda galaxy is about 2.5 million light-years away.
46.The Sun is mainly made of which two gases?
Answer: C. Hydrogen and helium
The Sun is mostly hydrogen, with helium.
47.The outermost layer of the Sun's atmosphere, seen during a total eclipse, is called what?
Answer: A. Corona
The corona is the Sun's outer atmosphere.
48.Dark, cooler patches on the Sun's surface are called what?
Answer: C. Sunspots
Sunspots are cooler areas with strong magnetic fields.
49.A star that collapses into an object from which even light cannot escape becomes what?
Answer: A. A black hole
A black hole's gravity is so strong that light cannot escape.
50.The first image of a black hole was released in which year?
Answer: C. 2019
The Event Horizon Telescope released the image of the M87 black hole in 2019.
Test yourself
Each quiz has 50 MCQs from this topic and 50 minutes. A correct answer earns 1 mark and each wrong answer takes off 0.25; skipped questions score nothing. No password needed.
