Science General · Geography

Astronomy and Celestial Phenomena

1,839 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

Light year is a unit of

  1. intensity of light

  2. distance

  3. time

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

A light year is the distance that light travels in a vacuum in one Julian year. It is a unit of length, not time or intensity.

Multiple choice

What is name given to dark patch on sun?

  1. Sun black

  2. Sun spot

  3. Sun mark

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

Sunspots are temporary phenomena on the photosphere of the Sun that appear as spots darker than the surrounding areas. They are caused by magnetic flux that inhibits convection.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'toward' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. near

  2. on road to

  3. in the direction of

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

'Towards' is used here to tell about the direction in which the earth is facing.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'around' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. toward

  2. ahead

  3. about

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

The moon makes a 29-day trip about the earth.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'path' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. lane

  2. side

  3. course

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

'Path' here means the route or the course of the earth.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace ‘casts’ as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. radiates

  2. shines

  3. spreads

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

We are talking about the sun eclipse, when the moon comes between the sun and the earth and its shadow is visible..... So, the moon throws its shadow on the surface of earth. The other options do not fit in with the flow of the passage.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'directly' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. openly

  2. straight

  3. ahead

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

Here directly means straight in line with the orbit of earth about the sun.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'reason' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. answer

  2. ground

  3. condition

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

The previous sentence is a question. In the next sentence, answer is being to it. Therefore, (1) is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is the correct spelling of 'juornie'?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. jurney

  2. journey

  3. journie

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

he correct spellings are 'journey'.

Multiple choice

Which of the following could replace 'for then' as used in the passage?

Directions: Read the following passage carefully and select the most suitable option according to the corresponding number in the passage.

When the moon in its juornie (1) around the earth, passes directly between the earth and the sun, it casts (2) its shadow on the surface of the earth, and an eclipse of the sun takes place. An eclipse of the sun occurs only when the moon is new, for then (3) the moon is on that side of the earth facing toward (4) the sun. Then why isn’t there are eclipse of the sun every time there’s a new moon? The reason (5) is that the path of the moon around the earth does not lie directly (6) in line with the orbit of the earth about the sun. In its 29–day trip around (7) the earth, the moon passes sometimes above and sometimes below the path (8) of the earth.

  1. because

  2. also with

  3. as a result of

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

Here 'for then' is used to explain the reason of something. Therefore, because can be used to replace it.

Multiple choice

The Earth rotating from west to east leads to

Directions: Read the following 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 colours 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. shorter days

  2. sequence of day and night

  3. changes in intensity of sun's light

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

It is given in the passage. “Days follow nights and nights follow days because the earth keeps turning from west to east”.

Multiple choice

The change in light around us occurs because

Directions: Read the following 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 colours 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 changes its place

  2. the moon comes in between the sun and the earth

  3. the earth keeps turning

  4. of an unnatural and unexplained phenomenon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

It is given that as the position of the sun keeps on changing in the sky, the light around us keeps on changing.