Science General · Geography

Astronomy and Celestial Phenomena

1,884 Questions

This section provides practice questions on astronomy and celestial phenomena, focusing on eclipses, planetary movements, and tides. These concepts are commonly tested in general science sections of various competitive exams. Use this hub to practice questions related to the Earth, Moon, and solar system dynamics.

Solar and lunar eclipsesEquinoxes and solsticesPlanetary movementsOcean tidesCoriolis effectMeteor showers

Astronomy and Celestial Phenomena Questions

Multiple choice

Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (iii).

Directions: Choose the most appropriate word/verb phrase from the options given below to complete the given paragraph.

The earth (i) _________ round the sun and the moon goes round the earth. There (ii) _________ several other bodies which like the earth go round the sun. The moon is called a satellite of the earth (iii) _________ it hangs on to it. The other planets have also got their satellites. The sun and the planets with their satellites form a happy family. This is called (iv) _________ solar system. Solar means belonging to the sun and the sun being the father of all the planets, (v) _________ whole group (vi) _________ the solar system.

  1. because

  2. due to

  3. as

  4. far
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Multiple choice

Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (vi).

Directions: Choose the most appropriate word/verb phrase from the options given below to complete the given paragraph.

The earth (i) _________ round the sun and the moon goes round the earth. There (ii) _________ several other bodies which like the earth go round the sun. The moon is called a satellite of the earth (iii) _________ it hangs on to it. The other planets have also got their satellites. The sun and the planets with their satellites form a happy family. This is called (iv) _________ solar system. Solar means belonging to the sun and the sun being the father of all the planets, (v) _________ whole group (vi) _________ the solar system.

  1. was called

  2. called

  3. is called

  4. calls
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence structure 'whole group (vi) _________ the solar system' describes what the system is named. Present simple passive 'is called' fits because it states a fact. 'Called' alone would need a different structure, 'calls' is active (incorrect subject-verb relationship), and 'was called' is past - but the name is current.

Multiple choice

Find out the appropriate word and fill blank (v).

Directions: Choose the most appropriate word/verb phrase from the options given below to complete the given paragraph.

The earth (i) _________ round the sun and the moon goes round the earth. There (ii) _________ several other bodies which like the earth go round the sun. The moon is called a satellite of the earth (iii) _________ it hangs on to it. The other planets have also got their satellites. The sun and the planets with their satellites form a happy family. This is called (iv) _________ solar system. Solar means belonging to the sun and the sun being the father of all the planets, (v) _________ whole group (vi) _________ the solar system.

  1. the

  2. as

  3. in

  4. a
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence requires a definite article before 'whole group' because it refers to the specific group of the sun and its planets that has just been mentioned in the preceding sentence. The definite article 'the' is used when referring to a particular, known entity.

Multiple choice

Directions: Fill in the blank.

The moon _____ round the earth.

  1. move

  2. moves

  3. moved

  4. has been moving
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The moon moves around the earth is a general truth or regular occurrence. Present simple tense (moves) is used for universal facts and habitual actions. Option A (move) is incorrect because 'moon' is singular. Option C (moved) is past tense, and Option D (has been moving) suggests an ongoing action which doesn't fit a general truth.

Multiple choice

_________ is an example of a self-luminous body.

  1. Moon

  2. Electric lamp

  3. Candle

  4. Sun
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Self-luminous bodies produce their own light through internal processes like nuclear fusion. The Sun generates light internally. The Moon reflects sunlight. Electric lamps and candles produce light through external energy sources (electricity or combustion), not internal self-luminosity.

Multiple choice

The sun appears red at sunrise and sunset while it appears white at noon, because

  1. of refraction

  2. it is cooler at sunrise and sunset

  3. of diffraction

  4. of scattering of light due to dust particles and air molecules
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The sun appears red at sunrise and sunset due to Rayleigh scattering - shorter wavelengths (blue, violet) scatter away when sunlight travels through more atmosphere at these angles, leaving longer wavelengths (red, orange) to reach our eyes. At noon, when sunlight travels through less atmosphere, all wavelengths reach us more equally, making the sun appear white.

Multiple choice

When the Sun is nearest to the Earth, the Earth is said to be in

  1. aphelion

  2. perihelion

  3. apogee

  4. perigee
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Perihelion is the point in Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun, occurring around January 3-4 each year. Aphelion is the opposite point when Earth is farthest from the Sun. Apogee and perigee refer to the Moon's orbit around Earth, not the Earth-Sun distance.

Multiple choice

What is the main idea of this passage?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE EARTH KEEPS TURNING

Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east. The light around us keeps on changing slowly through the day, as the sun’s place in sky moves from east to west. People love the moments when the light around us changes suddenly, as that makes everything look so different. When, the sun springs up and colors the clouds with its light, we call it a sunrise. A sunrise is a beautiful sight. When at the end of the day the sun goes down, evening falls with the moment of sunset. It is the beginning of night. Since the earth keeps on turning through the night without rest, the sun comes up with another day. However, in the old days people believed that the earth stood still, while the sun went around the earth bringing day and night.

 

  1. The sunlight and its beauty

  2. Earlier people believed that the earth stood still.

  3. A sunrise is a beautiful sight.

  4. The movement of the earth
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage begins by explaining that 'Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east.' The entire passage focuses on how Earth's continuous rotation causes day and night cycles, sunrise and sunset, and changing light patterns. Option D captures this central theme - the passage is fundamentally about the movement of the earth and its effects.

Multiple choice

The sun's in the sky moves from east to west. So it means, the sun rises in the_____

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE EARTH KEEPS TURNING

Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east. The light around us keeps on changing slowly through the day, as the sun’s place in sky moves from east to west. People love the moments when the light around us changes suddenly, as that makes everything look so different. When, the sun springs up and colors the clouds with its light, we call it a sunrise. A sunrise is a beautiful sight. When at the end of the day the sun goes down, evening falls with the moment of sunset. It is the beginning of night. Since the earth keeps on turning through the night without rest, the sun comes up with another day. However, in the old days people believed that the earth stood still, while the sun went around the earth bringing day and night.

 

  1. west

  2. east

  3. south

  4. north
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage states that 'the sun's place in sky moves from east to west.' If the sun moves across the sky from east toward west, it must first appear in the east (sunrise) and then set in the west. This is basic astronomical fact caused by Earth's west-to-east rotation.

Multiple choice

What happens when the earth keeps turning?

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

THE EARTH KEEPS TURNING

Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east. The light around us keeps on changing slowly through the day, as the sun’s place in sky moves from east to west. People love the moments when the light around us changes suddenly, as that makes everything look so different. When, the sun springs up and colors the clouds with its light, we call it a sunrise. A sunrise is a beautiful sight. When at the end of the day the sun goes down, evening falls with the moment of sunset. It is the beginning of night. Since the earth keeps on turning through the night without rest, the sun comes up with another day. However, in the old days people believed that the earth stood still, while the sun went around the earth bringing day and night.

 

  1. The sun stands still.

  2. Sun light reaches the Earth.

  3. Clouds get spread all over the sky.

  4. Days follow nights and nights follow days.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The passage explicitly states in the first sentence that 'Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east.' Option D directly paraphrases this core idea.

Multiple choice

Rotation of earth causes

  1. water

  2. fauna and flora

  3. days and nights

  4. global fusion

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Earth's rotation on its axis causes the cycle of day and night as different parts of the planet face toward or away from the Sun. Water, fauna, and flora exist on Earth but are not caused by rotation. Global fusion is not a valid scientific term.