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

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully orbit the Sun?

  1. Helios 1

  2. Helios 2

  3. Parker Solar Probe

  4. Voyager 1
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Helios 1, a joint project between NASA and the West German space agency, was the first spacecraft to successfully orbit the Sun, achieving a closest approach of 43.4 million kilometers in 1975.

Multiple choice

Who was the first person to walk on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission?

  1. Neil Armstrong

  2. Buzz Aldrin

  3. Michael Collins

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

Neil Armstrong, an American astronaut, became the first person to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969, during the Apollo 11 mission, uttering the famous words, 'That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.'

Multiple choice

What is the significance of the Kuiper Belt?

  1. It is a source of comets

  2. It is a potential source of water and other resources

  3. It is a window into the early history of the solar system

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Kuiper Belt is a source of comets, a potential source of water and other resources, and a window into the early history of the solar system.

Multiple choice

What are some of the missions that have been sent to the Kuiper Belt?

  1. New Horizons

  2. Voyager 1 and 2

  3. Cassini-Huygens

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The only mission that has been sent specifically to the Kuiper Belt is New Horizons.

Multiple choice

What are some of the discoveries that have been made in the Kuiper Belt?

  1. The existence of Pluto

  2. The existence of Eris

  3. The existence of Makemake and Haumea

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Some of the discoveries that have been made in the Kuiper Belt include the existence of Pluto, Eris, Makemake, and Haumea.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the space telescope that played a crucial role in providing evidence for the accelerating expansion of the universe?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope

  2. James Webb Space Telescope

  3. Chandra X-ray Observatory

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

The Hubble Space Telescope played a crucial role in providing evidence for the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae.

Multiple choice

Which of the following telescopes is used by the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS)?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope (HST)

  2. Spitzer Space Telescope

  3. Chandra X-ray Observatory

  4. Very Large Telescope (VLT)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The 2MASS uses the Spitzer Space Telescope to survey the sky in infrared light.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the satellite that carries the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) telescope?

  1. Kepler

  2. Herschel

  3. Planck

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

The GALEX telescope is carried by the Swift satellite.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the infrared space telescope launched by NASA in 2003 to study the infrared universe?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope

  2. Chandra X-ray Observatory

  3. Spitzer Space Telescope

  4. James Webb Space Telescope
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Spitzer Space Telescope was specifically designed to study the infrared universe and operated from 2003 to 2020.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the submillimeter space telescope launched by ESA in 2010?

  1. Herschel Space Observatory

  2. Planck Surveyor

  3. XMM-Newton

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

The Herschel Space Observatory was a submillimeter space telescope that operated from 2010 to 2013.

Multiple choice

What was the name of the space shuttle that disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003?

  1. Columbia

  2. Challenger

  3. Discovery

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

Columbia was the space shuttle that disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere in 2003.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the gravitational lens that was used to detect the first exoplanet through microlensing?

  1. OGLE-2003-BLG-235

  2. OGLE-2005-BLG-071

  3. OGLE-2006-BLG-109

  4. OGLE-2007-BLG-349
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

OGLE-2003-BLG-235 was the first gravitational lens that was used to detect an exoplanet through microlensing.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the gravitational lens that was used to detect the first binary exoplanet through microlensing?

  1. OGLE-2006-BLG-109

  2. OGLE-2007-BLG-349

  3. OGLE-2008-BLG-357

  4. OGLE-2009-BLG-387
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

OGLE-2006-BLG-109 was the first gravitational lens that was used to detect a binary exoplanet through microlensing.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the gravitational lens that was used to detect the first free-floating planet through microlensing?

  1. OGLE-2011-BLG-0262

  2. OGLE-2012-BLG-0026

  3. OGLE-2013-BLG-0341

  4. OGLE-2014-BLG-0298
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

OGLE-2011-BLG-0262 was the first gravitational lens that was used to detect a free-floating planet through microlensing.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the gravitational lens that was used to detect the first circumbinary planet through microlensing?

  1. OGLE-2016-BLG-1190

  2. OGLE-2017-BLG-0560

  3. OGLE-2018-BLG-0677

  4. OGLE-2019-BLG-0593
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

OGLE-2016-BLG-1190 was the first gravitational lens that was used to detect a circumbinary planet through microlensing.