General Awareness ยท Physics

Space Exploration and Astronomy

3,952 Questions

Review significant milestones in space exploration, including artificial satellites, reusable space shuttles, and historic lunar landings. This topic also covers astronomical phenomena and telescopic observations. Such scientific general knowledge is commonly tested in SSC, railways, and banking examinations.

Space shuttle missionsArtificial satellitesLunar and planetary landingsSpace telescopes and observatories

Space Exploration and Astronomy Questions

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the transit timing variation method?

  1. Kepler

  2. TESS

  3. CHEOPS

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

Kepler is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the transit timing variation method. It is a space telescope that was launched in 2009 and has discovered over 2,600 exoplanets.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the radial velocity variation method?

  1. HARPS

  2. HIRES

  3. CORALIE

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

HARPS (High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher) is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the radial velocity variation method. It is an instrument that is mounted on the 3.6-meter telescope at the European Southern Observatory in Chile.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the astrometry variation method?

  1. Gaia

  2. Hipparcos

  3. Tycho

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

Gaia is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the astrometry variation method. It is a space telescope that was launched in 2013 and is expected to discover millions of exoplanets.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the pulsar timing variation method?

  1. PSR B1257+12

  2. PSR B1620-26

  3. PSR J1719-1438

  4. PSR J0737-3039
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

PSR B1257+12 is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the pulsar timing variation method. It is a pulsar that is located in the constellation Virgo.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the gravitational microlensing variation method?

  1. OGLE

  2. EROS

  3. PLANET

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

OGLE (Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment) is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the gravitational microlensing variation method. It is a collaboration between astronomers from Poland, Chile, and the United States.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the transit timing variation method?

  1. Kepler

  2. TESS

  3. CHEOPS

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

Kepler is a mission that is currently searching for exoplanets using the transit timing variation method. It is a space telescope that was launched in 2009 and has discovered over 2,600 exoplanets.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the comet that was discovered in 1811 and is known for its long, bright tail?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp Comet

  3. Hyakutake Comet

  4. Shoemaker-Levy 9
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Halley's Comet is a periodic comet that orbits the Sun every 76 years. It was first observed in 240 BC and has been seen many times since then.

Multiple choice

Which engineer is known for his contributions to the field of aeronautics and astronautics?

  1. Neil Armstrong

  2. Wernher von Braun

  3. Yuri Gagarin

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

Wernher von Braun is renowned for his work in rocket science and space exploration, including the development of the Saturn V rocket that took humans to the moon.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the space telescope that was launched in 2009 to study the composition of exoplanet atmospheres?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope

  2. James Webb Space Telescope

  3. Spitzer Space Telescope

  4. Kepler Space Telescope
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched in 2009 to study the composition of exoplanet atmospheres.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the space telescope that was launched in 2009 to study the composition of exoplanet atmospheres?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope

  2. James Webb Space Telescope

  3. Spitzer Space Telescope

  4. Kepler Space Telescope
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope that was launched in 2009 to study the composition of exoplanet atmospheres.

Multiple choice

In David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas", what is the name of the comet that appears in the sky and causes a series of interconnected stories across different time periods?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. The Cloud Atlas Comet

  3. The Comet of Prophecy

  4. The Celestial Omen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Cloud Atlas Comet is the comet that appears in the sky in Cloud Atlas and serves as a connecting element between the different stories.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the famous star that appears on the 1969 Apollo 11 commemorative stamp?

  1. Sirius

  2. Vega

  3. Polaris

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

The 1969 Apollo 11 commemorative stamp featured an image of the Sun, symbolizing the successful moon landing.

Multiple choice

Which company is currently leading the development of reusable spacecraft for space tourism?

  1. SpaceX

  2. Blue Origin

  3. Virgin Galactic

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

SpaceX is currently leading the development of reusable spacecraft for space tourism, with its Starship spacecraft designed for both orbital and interplanetary travel.

Multiple choice

What is the expected timeline for the commercialization of space tourism?

  1. Within the next 5 years

  2. Within the next 10 years

  3. Within the next 20 years

  4. Beyond the next 20 years
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The commercialization of space tourism is expected to occur within the next 10 years, as companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin continue to develop reusable spacecraft and reduce the cost of space travel.

Multiple choice

Which space tourism company is planning to offer suborbital flights?

  1. SpaceX

  2. Blue Origin

  3. Virgin Galactic

  4. Sierra Nevada Corporation
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Virgin Galactic is planning to offer suborbital flights, which will allow passengers to experience a few minutes of weightlessness and see the curvature of the Earth.