Space Quiz Questions and Answers

50 space questions with answers: planets, moons, stars, missions and astronauts.

50 questions · tap “Show answer” under each one · Answer key

Play online

Space Quiz for KidsSpace · Worldwide · 10 questions

Which planet is, on average, closest to Earth?
Show answer
Mercury
Venus gets closest at times, but Mercury stays nearer over a whole orbit. Source
How many moons does Mars have?
Show answer
2
They're called Phobos and Deimos. Source
What is the name of Mars's larger moon?
Show answer
Phobos
Phobos is slowly spiraling toward Mars. Source
Which planet does the icy moon Europa orbit?
Show answer
Jupiter
Scientists think an ocean lies under its ice. Source
What is a shooting star really?
Show answer
A meteor
It's a small piece of rock burning up in the atmosphere. Source
What is the Kuiper Belt?
Show answer
Icy objects beyond Neptune
Pluto is one of its largest members. Source
Which world was reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006?
Show answer
Pluto
Pluto is smaller than Earth's Moon. Source
What was the name of the first dog to orbit Earth?
Show answer
Laika
Laika flew on Sputnik 2 in 1957. Source
About how old is the Sun?
Show answer
About 4.6 billion years
It's roughly halfway through its life. Source
What is the name of China's space station?
Show answer
Tiangong
Tiangong means 'heavenly palace'. Source
Which planet does the moon Triton orbit?
Show answer
Neptune
Triton orbits backward compared with Neptune's spin. Source
What do astronauts call working outside their spacecraft?
Show answer
A spacewalk
NASA calls it an EVA: extravehicular activity. Source

Who made the first spacewalk, in 1965?
Show answer
Alexei Leonov
He spent about 12 minutes outside. Source
What does ESA stand for?
Show answer
European Space Agency
ESA has more than 20 member states. Source
What is a comet's tail made of?
Show answer
Gas and dust
A comet's tail always points away from the Sun. Source
Which famous comet returns about every 76 years?
Show answer
Halley's Comet
It was last seen from Earth in 1986. Source
In which year will Halley's Comet next come close to the Sun?
Show answer
2061
Many people get to see it once in their lifetime. Source
What is a supernova?
Show answer
An exploding star
Some supernovae outshine a whole galaxy for weeks. Source
What was the name of the first craft to land on a comet, in 2014?
Show answer
Philae
It was carried by the Rosetta spacecraft. Source
Which planet is often called Earth's twin?
Show answer
Venus
It's almost the same size as Earth. Source
What causes a solar eclipse?
Show answer
The Moon blocks the Sun
A total eclipse lasts only a few minutes in any one place. Source
What causes the northern lights?
Show answer
Solar particles hitting air
Charged particles from the Sun make gases in the air glow. Source
What is the name of NASA's program to return people to the Moon?
Show answer
Artemis
In Greek myth, Artemis is Apollo's twin sister. Source
What is a named pattern of stars in the sky called?
Show answer
A constellation
Many constellation names come from ancient Greek myths. Source
How many official constellations are there?
Show answer
88
The International Astronomical Union fixed the list in 1922. Source

Play online

Which constellation contains the Big Dipper?
Show answer
Ursa Major
Ursa Major means 'the great bear'. Source
On which planet did Voyager 2 see the Great Dark Spot?
Show answer
Neptune
The storm had vanished when Hubble looked a few years later. Source
What is the hottest part of the Sun?
Show answer
The core
The core reaches about 15 million °C. Source
What are sunspots?
Show answer
Cooler, darker areas
They are caused by strong magnetic fields. Source
How long does Earth take to orbit the Sun?
Show answer
About 365.25 days
The extra quarter-day is why we have leap years. Source
Between which two planets is the asteroid belt?
Show answer
Mars and Jupiter
Its asteroids are far apart — spacecraft fly through easily. Source
What is a planet outside our Solar System called?
Show answer
An exoplanet
More than 5,000 have been confirmed. Source
Which space telescope found thousands of exoplanets between 2009 and 2018?
Show answer
Kepler
It watched stars for tiny dips in brightness. Source
Who was the first space tourist, in 2001?
Show answer
Dennis Tito
He paid to spend about a week on the International Space Station. Source
Which company builds the Crew Dragon spacecraft?
Show answer
SpaceX
Crew Dragon first carried astronauts in 2020. Source
What is microgravity?
Show answer
Near-weightlessness
It's what astronauts feel in orbit. Source
Why do astronauts float inside the ISS?
Show answer
They're falling around Earth
Gravity is still about 90 percent as strong up there. Source

What is the loose dust and rock on the Moon's surface called?
Show answer
Regolith
Moon dust is sharp and sticks to everything. Source
Which planet has a day of about 17 hours?
Show answer
Uranus
A Uranus day is about 17 hours and 14 minutes. Source
About how many Earths would fit across Jupiter's width?
Show answer
11
Jupiter is about 140,000 km wide. Source
Which spacecraft flew through the Sun's outer atmosphere?
Show answer
Parker Solar Probe
It became the fastest object ever built. Source
What is the line between day and night on a planet called?
Show answer
Terminator
On the Moon it's where shadows are longest. Source
Which rocket carried Apollo astronauts to the Moon?
Show answer
Saturn V
It stood about 110 m tall. Source
Who was the first American in space, in 1961?
Show answer
Alan Shepard
John Glenn was the first American to orbit Earth, in 1962. Source
Which Indian mission landed near the Moon's south pole in 2023?
Show answer
Chandrayaan-3
India became the first country to land near the lunar south pole. Source
Which country made the first landing on the far side of the Moon, in 2019?
Show answer
China
The Chang'e 4 lander carried the Yutu-2 rover. Source
Which gas makes up most of Mars's atmosphere?
Show answer
Carbon dioxide
The air on Mars is about 100 times thinner than on Earth. Source
Walking nonstop at 5 km/h, about how long would it take to walk around the Moon?
Show answer
About 3 months
The Moon's equator is about 10,900 km long. Source
What is a 'blue moon'?
Show answer
A 2nd full moon in a month
It happens about every two or three years. Source
What is the name of SpaceX's giant two-stage rocket?
Show answer
Starship
It's designed to be fully reusable. Source

Answer key

Mercury
2
Phobos
Jupiter
A meteor
Icy objects beyond Neptune
Pluto
Laika
About 4.6 billion years
Tiangong
Neptune
A spacewalk
Alexei Leonov
European Space Agency
Gas and dust
Halley's Comet
2061
An exploding star
Philae
Venus
The Moon blocks the Sun
Solar particles hitting air
Artemis
A constellation
88
Ursa Major
Neptune
The core
Cooler, darker areas
About 365.25 days
Mars and Jupiter
An exoplanet
Kepler
Dennis Tito
SpaceX
Near-weightlessness
They're falling around Earth
Regolith
Uranus
11
Parker Solar Probe
Terminator
Saturn V
Alan Shepard
Chandrayaan-3
China
Carbon dioxide
About 3 months
A 2nd full moon in a month
Starship