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 geography the signature of time movement of the earth's plates development of landforms study of continents - north america biosphere and landscape

At any given time, different parts of the earth experience different seasons. Apart from the earth's revolution around the Sun, which of these is the reason for this?

  1. The earth's rotation

  2. The elliptical shape of the earth's orbit

  3. The presence of the moon

  4. The tilt of the earth's axis of rotation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

D. The tilt of the earth's axis of rotation

Seasons happen because Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4 degrees and different parts of Earth receive more solar energy than others. Because of Earth's axial tilt (obliquity), our planet orbits the Sun on a slant which means different areas of Earth point toward or away from the Sun at different times of the year. Around the June solstice, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun and the Northern Hemisphere gets more of the Sun's direct rays. This is why June, July and August are summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. At the same time, the Southern Hemisphere points away from the Sun, creating winter during the months of June, July and August. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere is in December, January, and February, when the South Pole is tilted toward the Sun and the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away.

Multiple choice geography the signature of time movement of the earth's plates development of landforms study of continents - north america biosphere and landscape

It is suggested not to look at the sun directly during eclipse. Because ____________________.

  1. It would damage our skin

  2. It would damage our hair

  3. It would damage our eyes

  4. It would damage every part of the body
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Solar eclipses are dangerous because the sun can come out from behind the moon and surprise you before you have a chance to look away. And this is actually even worse than when you normally look away from the sun because during the total eclipse, it is dark out, and your pupil therefore dialates so that it can let in enough light to get a good picture. Then, when the sun reappears and starts flooding the area with really bright light, not only are you staring straight at it, but your eye is in a state where it is wide open, and actively trying to let in as much light as possible.

This explains why it is easy to damage your eye when watching a total solar eclipse, and why you should either be sure to time it very carefully or just view the thing through one of those sets of cheap dark glasses they sell for the express purpose of looking at the sun without getting hurt.

Multiple choice geography study of continents - north america movement of the earth's plates development of landforms the signature of time

During solar eclipse which of the following comes in the middle?

  1. Sun

  2. Moon

  3. Earth

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse is a type of eclipse that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun. This can happen only at new moon when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth in an alignment. In a total eclipse, the disk of the Sun is fully obscured by the Moon. In partial and annular eclipses, only part of the Sun is obscured.

Multiple choice chemistry phenomena around us changes and its classification types of changes classification of changes

What's common among motion of the planets around the sun, blinking of traffic lights and motion of blades of a fan rotating at uniform speed?

  1. Irreversible changes

  2. Chemical changes

  3. Periodic changes

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

The planets around the sun, blinking of traffic lights and motion of blades of a fan rotating at uniform speed are all periodic changes.
Changes which are repeated after regular intervals are called periodic changes.

Multiple choice chemistry phenomena around us changes and its classification types of changes classification of changes

Halley's comet revolves around the sun once in every 76 Years. This is a:

  1. photochemical change

  2. periodic change

  3. chemical change

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

It is a periodic change $-$ because changes that occur after a fix interval of time is known as periodic change.

Here periodic change in $76$ years
photochemical change is due to light chemical change $-$ where reactant react to produce products.

Multiple choice geography in search of the source of wind variations in atmospheric pressure properties of air pressure belts the concept of bernoulli's principle air exerts pressure

The doldrums are in the _______________.

  1. Horse latitudes

  2. Sub-polar low pressure belt

  3. Equatorial low pressure belt

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

Due to the intense heating from sun rays around the equator, the air in this region gets hot and hence ascends upwards, thus creating a low pressure in the region. Hence it is the equatorial low-pressure belt and is also called doldrums as it is the region of extreme calmness, not as much as a breeze.

Multiple choice physics science in daily life introduction to science contribution of physics in technology and society physics in relation to other sciences

Raghu learnt something in school and he told his friends "An object can appear smaller or bigger in size depending on its distance from you. So, an elephant can look as small as a cat if it is far away."
Based on this, his friends said the following:
Kabir: "All stars are of the same size."
Raina: "All other stars are definitely smaller than the Sun."
Karen: "The Sun and the Moon are definitely of the same size.
"Shifa: "There could be a star which is bigger than the Moon."
Who is correct?

  1. Only Shifa.

  2. Only Raina.

  3. Only Kabir and Karen.

  4. Only Kabir and Raina.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The principle of perspective explains that objects appear smaller as they move further away. Shifa's statement that there could be a star bigger than the Moon is scientifically plausible, as many stars are much larger than the Moon, even if they appear as mere points of light due to their immense distance.

Multiple choice physics bharat and science introduction to science contribution of physics in technology and society physics in relation to other sciences

Which of the following phenomena will not be observed on the surface of the Moon ?

  1. Rising and setting of the Sun

  2. Solar eclipse

  3. Motion of comets

  4. Twinkling of stars
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Moon has no atmosphere to scatter light. Twinkling of stars is caused by the refraction of light through the Earth's atmosphere; therefore, it cannot be observed from the Moon.

Multiple choice newton's colour disc light and the formation of shadows physics

Rainbow is observed when the Sun is 

  1. In front of the observer

  2. Behind the observer

  3. Vertically above the observer

  4. In any of these position
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sun is always behind the observer. This is because the rainbow is actually just sunlight which has been refracted and reflected.

Multiple choice evs - i our earth and our solar system asteroids, comets, and meteors and meteorites other objects in solar system asteroids, comets and meteors

Identify the true statement(s) for comets:

  1. Those are messengers of disaster

  2. Many comets appear after a fixed time interval

  3. Occurrance of comets is a natural phenomenon

  4. The tail of the comet is always directed towards the sun
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B,C Correct answer
Explanation

Occurance of comets is a natural phenomenon and there is nothing superstitious about it. Many comets appear after fixed time interval for example, Halley"s comet which appears once in every 76 years.

Multiple choice evs - i our earth and our solar system asteroids, comets, and meteors and meteorites other objects in solar system asteroids, comets and meteors

Comets revolve around the Sun:

  1. in a highly elliptical orbit

  2. along a circular orbit

  3. in an elliptical orbit

  4. varying orbit depending on the comet
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Comets revolve around the Sun in a highly elliptical orbit such that at one end of the orbit it is very far from the Sun and at the other end it is near to the Sun.

Multiple choice evs - i our earth and our solar system asteroids, comets, and meteors and meteorites other objects in solar system asteroids, comets and meteors

Identify the wrong statements for asteroids:

  1. Revolve around the Sun

  2. Separate inner and outer planets

  3. Can only be seen through any telescopes

  4. Asteroids are rock-like structures
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Asteroids are rock-like structures that occupy the huge gap between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. 

Those, too, revolve around the Sun in a similar orbit. 
Those form a belt like structure known as asteroid belt and the planets before the asteroid belt i.e., Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, are called inner planets. The planets that lie beyond the asteroids i.e., Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called outer planets. 
Since the asteroids are smaller is size, those can only be seen through large and powerful telescopes, not through any telescope.

Multiple choice evs - i our earth and our solar system asteroids, comets, and meteors and meteorites other objects in solar system asteroids, comets and meteors

The tail of a comet always points__________ .

  1. towards the sun

  2. away from the sun

  3. towards north-east

  4. towards south-west
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The streams of dust and gas thus released from a huge extremely tenous atmosphere around the comet called coma and force exerted on coma by the sun's radiation pressure and solar wind cause an anormous tail form which points away from the sun

Multiple choice evs our solar system asteroids, comets, and meteors and meteorites other objects in solar system asteroids, comets and meteors

The meteors seldom reach the earth because of :

  1. freezing caused when they pass through the atmosphere

  2. vapourization caused when they pass through the atmosphere

  3. greater force of attraction towards sun

  4. greater force of attraction towards moon
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Meteors seldom reach earth because of vapourization caused when they pass the atmosphere.

Ans:  vapourization caused when they pass the atmosphere.