science Quiz practise

1. AstroQuiz 2019
ROUND 3

2. RULES
• You only have 60 seconds to answer
each question.
• You are allowed to discuss amongst
yourselves as team members
• Calculators may be used if needed.
• No internet is to be used, therefore
the use of cellphones is also
prohibited.
• The judge’s decision is final.

3. QUESTION 1
Which of the following is false about
Proxima Centauri, the 2nd closest star to
Earth?
A. It is a red dwarf and discovered in 1915
B. It is 4,2 light years away from Earth
C. It is a red dwarf and discovered in 1815
D. It is part of the three star Alpha
Centauri system

4. QUESTION 2
One can jump much higher on Earth
than on the Moon.
A. True
B. False

5. QUESTION 3
The reason why one can jump much
higher on the Moon than on Earth is
because _____ on the Moon.
A. there is no atmosphere.
B. the magnetic field is weaker.
C. there is no water.
D. gravity is weaker.

6. QUESTION 4
During which Moon phase can we
experience a total solar eclipse?
A. Full Moon
B. New Moon
C. First Quarter
D. Last Quarter

7. QUESTION 5
Why do stars twinkle?
A. Because they get smaller and bigger
B. Because of turbulence in our atmosphere
C. Because they fuse different amounts of
hydrogen
D. Because their magnetic field varies in
strength

8. QUESTION 6
Why has the Universe cooled down to
about 3 degrees above absolute zero?
A. There were more stars earlier on
B. There were fewer stars earlier on
C. It has become bigger
D. It is due to climate change

9. QUESTION 7
Which pair of planets below, represent the
smallest planets within their own groups?
A. Mercury & Saturn
B. Jupiter & Earth
C. Neptune & Mercury
D. Mercury & Uranus

10. QUESTION 8
At what speed does Earth go around
the Sun?
A. 9,8 km/s
B. 11,2 km/s
C. 29,8 km/s
D. 23,9 km/s

11. QUESTION 9
Big stars live longer, because they have
more hydrogen to fuse than small ones.
A.True
B. False

12. QUESTION 10
A starburst galaxy is …
A. a galaxy with stars continually
bursting.
B. a galaxy that produces bursts of
intense light in a regular way.
C. a galaxy with very high star birth
rate.
D. None of the above

13. QUESTION 11
One of the definitions of a Blue Moon is
that it is a second full moon in a month.
When in 2015 did we have a blue moon?
A. May
B. June
C. July
D. August

14. QUESTION 12
Why does a star at the end of its life
collapse?
A. Its electrons generate a massive
pressure
B. There is no heat pressure any more
C. The magnetic field has become stronger
D. The electric field has weakened

15. QUESTION 13
Constellations are …
A. clusters of stars very near each other
in space.
B. groupings of planets in the sky.
C. patterns of stars in the sky.
D. close associations of stars and visible
planets.

16. QUESTION 14
All the stars in a constellation are about
the same distance from Earth.
A. True
B. False

17. QUESTION 15
How many days are there between the
waxing quarter and waning quarter
Moon?
A. 29
B. 30
C. 14
D. 31

18. QUESTION 16
Which celestial body has been selected for
possible exploration as it has features that
resemble that of the Earth?
A. Neptune
B. Pluto
C. Mars
D. Uranus

19. QUESTION 17
Light travels at a speed of …
A. 300 000 m/s
B. 30 000 km/s
C. 300 000 000 m/s
D. 30 000 m/s

20. QUESTION 18
What is the most abundant gas found in
Venus' atmosphere?
A. Nitrogen
B. Hydrogen
C. Oxygen
D. Carbon Dioxide

21. QUESTION 19
The most abundant gas found in
Earth’s atmosphere is …
A. Carbon Dioxide
B. Nitrogen
C. Hydrogen
D. Oxygen

22. QUESTION 20
Which of the following is a gas planet
and has at least 27 moons?
A. Venus
B. Mercury
C. Neptune
D. Uranus

23. QUESTION 21
Which of the following is an inner
planet and is usually referred to as
morning or evening star?
A. Mercury
B. Neptune
C. Venus
D. Uranus

24. QUESTION 22
The largest optical telescope in
Southern Africa is the …
A. Hubble Space Telescope
B. Innes Telescope
C. South African Large Telescope
D. High Energy Stereoscopic System

25. QUESTION 23
What is the name of the South African
Square Kilometre Array forerunner?
A. Pathfinder
B. Explorer
C. MeerKAT
D. Square Kilometre Array

26. QUESTION 24
Why do we not have lunar or solar eclipses
every month? It is because …
A. we cannot see the Moon everyday of the
month.
B. the Earth's orbit around the Sun is not in the
same plane as the Moon's orbit around the
Earth.
C. of the speed at which the Moon is orbiting
the Earth.
D. of the speed at which the Earth is orbiting the
Moon.

27. QUESTION 25
The second nearest star to us after the
Sun is Proxima Centauri. What is the
third nearest star to us?
A. Barnard’s Star
B. Sirius
C. Antares
D. Alpha Centauri

28. QUESTION 26
Of the five officially recognised dwarf
planets in our solar system, Pluto is the
largest, followed by …
A. Eris, Haumea, Makemake, Ceres
B. Eris, Haumea, Makemake, Ceres
C. Eris, Ceres, Makemake, Haumea
D. Eris, Makemake, Haumea, Ceres

29. QUESTION 27
During a total solar eclipse the Moon’s
shadow causes a narrow path of total
darkness across the Earth. What is this
path of total shadow called?
A. Penumbra
B. Corona
C. Umbra
D. Luna

30. QUESTION 28
Proxima Centauri is approximately 4,22
light years away from the Earth. How far
is it in km given that 1 light year = 9,46 x
1012 km?
A. 2,241 x 1013
B. 22,41 x 1012
C. 3,992 x 1013
D. 39,92 x 1012

31. QUESTION 29
Whilst on Earth the Sun rises in the east
and sets in the west, on Venus …
A. we will never know from where the Sun sets
and rises because of the planet’s thick
atmosphere.
B. the Sun also rises in the east and sets in the
west.
C. there is no sunrise or sunset because Venus
does not rotate around its axis.
D. the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

32. QUESTION 30
A solar eclipse occurs during the night
whilst a lunar eclipse occurs only during
the day.
A. True
B. False

33. THANK YOU
FOR PARTICIPATING
GOOD LUCK TO ALL!