General Awareness ยท Physics

Space Exploration and Astronomy

4,144 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 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

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

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is home to which of the following exhibits?

  1. The Wright Flyer

  2. The Spirit of St. Louis

  3. The Apollo 11 command module

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

The National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., is home to the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, and the Apollo 11 command module.

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 utopian society depicted in Kim Stanley Robinson's book Aurora?

  1. Aurora

  2. New Earth

  3. Tau Ceti

  4. Kepler-452b
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Kim Stanley Robinson's book Aurora describes a utopian society called Aurora, which is located on a generation ship traveling to a distant star system.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the utopian society depicted in Neal Stephenson's book Seveneves?

  1. Seveneves

  2. Cloud Ark

  3. Rainmaker

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

Neal Stephenson's book Seveneves describes a utopian society called Seveneves, which is founded by a group of survivors of a global catastrophe.

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.

Multiple choice

When was the Europa Clipper Mission launched?

  1. 2023

  2. 2024

  3. 2025

  4. 2026
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Europa Clipper Mission is scheduled to launch in 2024.

Multiple choice

How long will the Europa Clipper Mission last?

  1. 3 years

  2. 5 years

  3. 7 years

  4. 10 years
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Europa Clipper Mission is expected to last for 5 years, including its journey to Jupiter and its time spent orbiting Europa.