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 geography in search of the source of wind global pressure belts pressure belts atmospheric conditions

When the sun is overhead on the Tropic of Cancer (21st June) the pressure belts shift ____________.

  1. $5^0N$
  2. $10^0N$
  3. $5^0S$
  4. $10^0S$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
$5^0N$
When the sun is overhead on the Tropic of Cancer (21 June) the pressure belts shift 5° northward and when it shines vertically overhead on Tropic of Capricorn (22 December), they shift 5° southward from their original position.

Because the axis of the Earth is tilted. If the Earth rotated upright the sun will always shine perpendicular to the Equator so the pressure belts would not move. But the Earth’s axis is slightly tilted. So in Summer, the northern hemisphere is pointed to the sun and in Winter southern hemisphere is pointing away from the sun. That is why days are longer in summer than in winter. The pressure belts move with the energy the sun provides. So if it is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere the pressure belts move towards the north. If it is Summer in the Southern Hemisphere, the pressure belts move further south.
Multiple choice geography the polar regions polar regions natural regions of the world diversified world

In the _________, the summer months have continuous daylight even at midnight.

  1. polar region

  2. hemisphere

  3. equator

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

The sun begins to shine in the tundra (Polar region) around February-March. In the beginning, the sun shines for a maximum of an hour and a half and then sets. Gradually, it lengthens to 2 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 16 hours, and finally 24 hours! Then for almost three months from May to July, the sun never sets, it shines all 24 hours.

Multiple choice geography the polar regions polar regions natural regions of the world diversified world

The Aurora Borealis is the naturally occurring lights of _______.

  1. Equator

  2. Temperate zone

  3. Northern Hemisphere

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

Aurora Borealis one of the two types of natural light display in the Earth's sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Aurora Borealis is seen in the northern hemisphere whereas Aurora Australis is seen in the southern hemisphere. 

Multiple choice geography the polar regions polar regions natural regions of the world diversified world

The Aurora Australis is the naturally occurring lights of ________.

  1. Torrid zone

  2. Temperate zone

  3. Northern Hemisphere

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

Aurora australis is the southern hemisphere counterpart to the aurora borealis. In the sky, an aurora australis takes the shape of a curtain of light that is most often green, sometimes red, and occasionally other colors too.

Multiple choice evs sun and planets phases of moon moon and it's phases moon

Phases of the moon occur because:

  1. We can see only that part of the moon which reflects light towards us

  2. Our distance from the moon keeps changing

  3. The shadow of the Earth covers only a part of moon's surface

  4. The thickness of the moon's atmosphere is not constant
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Phases of the moon occur because we can see only that part of the moon which reflects light towards us.
The changing shape of the bright part of the Moon that we see is called its phase. The moon is illuminated because it reflects the light from the sun. The part of the moon facing the sun is lit up. The part facing away from the sun is in darkness.

Multiple choice evs sun and planets phases of moon moon and it's phases moon

Which two moons are also called half moons?

  1. First Quarter & Third Quarter

  2. Waning Crescent & Waxing Crescent

  3. Waxing Crescent & First Quarter

  4. Full & New Moon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Half moon are the phase of moon when the moon is half lit so only half visible.

First Quarter and third Quarter.

Multiple choice evs sun and planets phases of moon moon and it's phases moon

Which moon is also referred to as "Dark Moon"?

  1. Full Moon

  2. Waning Crescent

  3. New Moon

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

The moon is visible on earth because the light from the sun falls on it, gets reflected from it and enters the eyes of the people who are watching it on earth.  The moon appears crescent, half, full, not at all, etc, depending on its position with respect to the sun and the earth.

The light falling on any part of the moon gets reflected. However the light reflected only from some part of the moon reaches the earth. Only that part is visible to the people on the earth.
On the new moon day, the moon is on the same side of the earth as that of the sun with respect to earth. No light from the moon reaches the earth and it becomes invisible. Its apparent colour is black, i.e. same of that as that of the night sky.
Hence it is also called as dark moon.

For practical understanding, you can perform the experiment given below
Take a torch, switch it on and place it on a table.
Stand in front of the source of light of the torch.
Take a small ball and hold it at a height same as that of the torch and facing the torch.
You will notice that the ball appears dark.
Now if you change the position of the ball, keeping the height same, you will notice that only some part of the ball appears illuminated.
If you place it diametrically opposite to the torch, but at height slghtly higher than your head, the entire ball gets illuminated.

The phases of the moon are due to situations similar to this experiment.  

Multiple choice evs sun and planets phases of moon moon and it's phases moon

Which moon is after the waxing crescent?

  1. Third Quater

  2. First Quarter

  3. Waxing Gibbous

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

Waxing crescent moon comes after New moon and lasts until half of moon surface is illuminated at first quarter moon.