33+ Space & Astronomy Trivia Questions & Answers (Easy to Hard)
Story by:
Kyle Boureston
This post will be about the best space trivia there is in the whole universe!
Everyone loved our wide variety of trivia questions for adults and trivia for kids, especially our science trivia questions! We’ve got quite the expertise here.
Learn some space facts that can bring you to the moon and back. Let’s orbit the points!
Contents
Space Trivia Playable Quiz
Do you love and know a lot about space trivia? This quiz will show you how much you really know:
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8 Best Space Trivia You Need To Know
Let’s jump into outer space with the best trivia about things beyond our world! Whether it’s the largest or the smallest planet, we’ve got everything covered.
1. What name was given to the invisible material once thought to occupy all space?
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Answer
Ether
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The ancient Greeks called it “the fifth element.” Medieval alchemists believed it was the philosopher’s stone. Early-modern scientists thought it was the substance light moved through. However, ether never even existed![/learn_more]
2. What is the most common type of galaxy?
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Answer
Elliptical galaxies.
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The best-known elliptical galaxy is Cygnus A. It featured in Carl Sagan’s novel Contact, which inspired the eponymous Holywood movie. Elliptical galaxies are in a radial form that looks like a disc, unlike the rotational Milky Way which contains “spiraling arms.” There are also other types like a spiral galaxy (a good example is the Andromeda Galaxy). [/learn_more]
3. What do we call the burst of gas and dust that follows a comet?
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Answer
A tail.
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Did you know that comet tails span miles? It’s just they’re so far away that they only look small. You won’t witness too many, though: most comets are invisible to the naked eye. We’re lucky to see some comets like Halley’s Comet![/learn_more]
4. Who was the first person to travel into space?
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Answer
Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut born in 1934. His space capsule was called Vostok 1.
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This event made space travel history. His Vostok 1 spacecraft took off on April 12, 1961, at 09:07 a.m. He’s the first one to leave the Earth’s gravity.[/learn_more]
5. What is the point of no return around a black hole called?
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Answer
Event Horizon
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Black holes are areas where gravity is so strong that no object can escape being engulfed by them. Did you know that a black hole is at the center of the Milky Way? [/learn_more]
6. Who invented astronomy?
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Answer
The ancient Greeks
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The word “astronomy” comes from the Greek “Astron” for “star” and “nomia” for “law.” The ancient Greeks came up with a lot of names. [/learn_more]
7. What was the largest tool in the Apollo survival kit?
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Answer
Machete
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The 17-inch-long machete was meant for cutting through jungle-type terrains in the event of an emergency landing. This would be helpful if the capsule does fall within a jungle. However, the same won’t be true if it falls in the ocean.[/learn_more]
8. How old is the universe? Approximately
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Answer
13.8 billion years old
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We know that thanks to ancient stars and leftover radiation from the Big Bang. FUN FACT: Did you know that a small percentage of the static we see on television are residues from the Big Bang? [/learn_more]
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9 Trivia About The Cosmos For Kids
Need some space trivia for kids to impress a young star-gazer and a future astronomer? As kids, everyone wants to be an astronaut when looking up at the night sky, so you can be sure that kids will love these. With these, we go deeper than the dwarf planet.
9. What zodiac constellation is shaped like a lion?
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Answer
Leo
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An easy one to kick things off. If you’re into horoscopes, it’s best to expand your friend’s knowledge of this sign.[/learn_more]
10. What do you call a large number of meteoroids occurring at the same time and place?
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Answer
Meteor shower
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Meteor showers are magnificent to behold. You can check the meteor showers for 2021 and 2022 here. [/learn_more]
11. Which brilliant person wrote The Universe in a Nutshell?
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Answer
Stephen Hawking
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The 2001 book was written as a sequel to his 1988 bestseller A Brief History of Time. There’s also a good movie about Hawking played by Eddie Redmayne. [/learn_more]
12. What causes high and low tides?
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Answer
The gravity of the Sun and Moon
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As the Earth spins and as the moon spins around the planet, the tides will change. If you live near the beach or sea, you’ll see the magic. [/learn_more]
13. Which way does planet Earth spin?
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Answer
From West to East
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The Earth’s surface would be different if not for this rotation. If the Earth were to reverse its rotation, North America and the Amazon would become deserts, and the Middle East and large parts of Africa would turn into lush forests![/learn_more]
14. Which planet rotates the fastest?
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Answer
Jupiter
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A day on Jupiter lasts less than ten hours! Jupiter is also the largest planet. It also has the largest moon.[/learn_more]
15. Which planet is covered by sulphuric acid clouds?
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Answer
Venus
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Venus is also one of the terrestrial planets, but as if that weren’t bad enough, the average temperature on Venus’ surface is 860°F (460°C)! Venus is the hottest planet in our milky way. Can you imagine if the Earth’s atmosphere was like that? [/learn_more]
16. Where is the Asteroid Belt located?
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Answer
Between Mars and Jupiter
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The asteroid belt is between the red planet (which has the Olympus mons) and the largest planet in the solar system. The largest asteroids in the Asteroid Belt are Ceres, Hygiea, Pallas, and Vesta.[/learn_more]
17. What phenomenon keeps the planets in steady orbit around the Sun?
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Answer
Gravity
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If gravity were to stop working, Earth would break into pieces and fly off into space. Gravity is literally what keeps us together and intact. [/learn_more]
5 Interesting American Space History Questions
Don’t you love history trivia questions? We especially like American history trivia – and it gets even better if you throw in some space-related questions into the mix!
18. Who famously wrote his daughter’s initials on the Moon?
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Answer
Gene Cernan
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Cernan, the last man on the Moon, inscribed “TDC” in the dust. Incredibly, the writing remains undisturbed to this day![/learn_more]
19. Which Cold War-era program was set up to head off nuclear weapons??
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Answer
Strategic Defense Initiative
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The SDI was known as the “Star Wars program.” Nuclear weapons are highly powerful and inspired lots of conspiracies about the nuclear apocalypse. [/learn_more]
20. What flavor ice cream did Baskin-Robbins release in 1969 to commemorate the Moon landing?
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Answer
Lunar Cheesecake
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The green-and-white ice cream had cheesecake chunks about the once-popular belief that the moon was made of cheese. Armstrong and Aldrin solidified the fact that the moon is not actually made of cheese. But that’s a fun kids’ story, nonetheless. [/learn_more]
21. Which animals delayed the launch of the space shuttle Discovery, STS-70 (June 1995)?
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Answer
Woodpeckers
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A woodpecker had mistaken the shuttle for a tree, inflicting 71 excavations and numerous claw and beak marks on the foam insulation![/learn_more]
22. How many U.S. space shuttles are there?
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Answer
Six
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NASA commissioned six space shuttles. These are Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour, and Enterprise. [/learn_more]
6 Interesting Trivia From Space-Inspired Movies
What’s even better than movie trivia questions? Space movie trivia questions!
23. What are the “bad guys” called in Transformers (2007)?
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Answer
Decepticons
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Decepticons are sentient shape-shifting robots led by Megatron. It’s funny to think about space cars that are actually robots.[/learn_more]
24. What was the first science-fiction film?
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Answer
A Trip To The Moon (1902)
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It was a French short film by director Georges Méliès. Hopefully, there’s still a copy lying around somewhere. This would be an interesting film to watch. [/learn_more]
25. In what 1979 movie does Sigourney Weaver play a warrant officer named Ripley?
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Answer
Alien
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Ellen Ripley is one of the most significant protagonists in film history. Alien was one of the first movies to replace the standard male action hero with a female character. [/learn_more]
26. What beer does Jim Kirk drink in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home?
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Answer
Michelob
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The beer can be seen in the famous restaurant scene. Any Star Trek fans out here? [/learn_more]
27. What moon are humans colonizing in Avatar?
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Answer
Pandora
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In the movie, humans wanted to colonize Pandora to mine its vast reserves of unobtainium. It’s such a good movie overall.[/learn_more]
28. In the Star Wars movies, this robot was fluent in over 6,000,000 forms of communication.
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Answer
C-3PO
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C-3PO was a protocol droid built to assist in translation and all matters of intergalactic customs and etiquette. Quite frankly, C-3P0 can be tiring at times, especially during Episode IV. [/learn_more]
5 Challenging Space Quiz Questions
Supernova, exoplanet, neutron star, and more. Sure, you know these but have you got what it takes to handle our hard trivia questions?
29. Uranus has only been visited by what spacecraft?
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Answer
The Voyager 2
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On January 24, 1986, the Voyager 2 came within around 50,000 miles of Jupiter’s cloud tops, discovering two new rings and ten new moons.[/learn_more]
30. Which planet has supersonic winds?
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Neptune
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Neptune has the strongest winds in the whole Solar System, exceeding 1,100 mph – 1.5 times faster than sound! Imagine if you, unfortunately, landed your spacecraft there. [/learn_more]
31. Where is the coldest place in the universe?
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Answer
The Boomerang Nebula
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The Boomerang Nebula has a temperature of -458°F (-272°C). That’s impossibly cold! [/learn_more]
32. What do scientists call a massive release of plasma from the Sun?
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Answer
A Coronal Mass Ejection
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The largest recorded Coronal Mass Ejection was the 1859 solar storm, which started fires and took down large parts of the U.S. telegraph network. Quite a scary experience for those alive during that time. [/learn_more]
33. How much of the universe is composed of dark matter?
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Answer
27 percent
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Dark matter also accounts for 85% of the total mass in the universe! This is one of the facts that give you an existential crisis. [/learn_more]
Downloadable and Printable List of Trivia Questions About Space
Here is a downloadable and printable jpg/pdf list of space trivia (right-click the image and select Save Image As…):
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have more questions about space and beyond? We’ll get right into it.
What makes trivia about space interesting to ask?
Space questions are interesting because not everyone has the ability to explore space. But collective inter-space travels have given us some answers to, perhaps, billions of questions about space.
Who should you ask space quizzes?
Kids are especially fun to talk to when it comes to space. If you have a friend who loves space and the universe, ask them some of the questions here and see them light up immediately.
Are space trivia unbelievable facts?
Different national governments on Earth spend decades and billions of dollars on space exploration and research. So, they make sure to document each finding for the record. Still, make sure to look for credible sources when you look up space facts.
What are the strangest things in space?
The space is vast, scary, and impossible. In 2007, space researchers received weird radio signals or flashes from space. So if you believe in alien life, this could be a sign that someone, somewhere is out there. Or maybe, it’s just a radio signal emitted by an exploding star somewhere; who knows?
How well do people know about space?
An average person might not have much information about space. So make sure that you share what you know to them!
How To Pick The Best Space Trivia Questions
How do you make sure you always choose the best head space trivia questions?
1. Know Your Facts
This trivia is all about science. This is not the place for vague or opinion-based “facts.” Always double-check your questions and make sure you only use reputable sources.
2. Be Open To Being Challenged
Don’t believe everything you read on the Internet; some sources are better than others. If your friends call you out on your space trivia, don’t get mad. Verify your information instead.
3. Don’t Pick Overly Complicated Trivia
Don’t get too hung up on the exact number of light-years or degrees Fahrenheit. Space is complicated enough as it is, so don’t make your questions unnecessarily complex for your friends to guess.
More Awesome Trivia Questions
Want some more great trivia questions in your head space?
- Check out our Star Wars trivia questions.
- Follow these up with this selection of Simpsons trivia.
- Wrap it all up with our Super Bowl trivia.
In Conclusion
Did you enjoy our science trivia questions? We, for one, think that these are always a great choice, whether you are looking for trivia questions for adults or trivia for kids. What’s more, space trivia is super educational and can expand your horizons as few other things can!
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