Practice Space & Universe MCQ Questions 26–43 out of 43. Free quiz with answers and explanations for UPSC, SSC, Railway exam preparation. Explore astronomical science with our dedicated Space and Universe general knowledge test. Solve high-yield practice questions regarding solar system planets, deep galaxy structures, dark matter, cosmological theories, satellite tech, international space stations, and global moon landing missions.
Thousands of rocky minor planets sit in orbit between Mars and Jupiter, prevented from coalescing into a planet by Jupiter's gravity. [Memory Trick: 'M'-ars 'A'-steroids 'J'-upiter. MAJ-or asteroid group in the middle!]
Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, initially wanting to name it Georgium Sidus after King George III. [Memory Trick: 'Herschel' saw Uranus and 'heard'-shel (her-shell) of the system’s expansion!]
The IAU voted on Pluto's status in Prague in August 2006, deciding it had not cleared its orbital neighborhood. [Memory Trick: In '06, we 'nix' (06) Pluto from the major planet catalog!]
Uranus rotates almost perpendicular to its orbit, likely due to a collision with an Earth-sized protoplanet in antiquity. [Memory Trick: 'U'-ranus was 'un'-balanced and fell on its side!]
The solar system sits in a minor spiral arm of the Milky Way, known as the Orion-Cygnus Arm, between Sagittarius and Perseus. [Memory Trick: We are wrapped under the arm of the great star hunter 'Orion'!]
Radiation pressure and solar winds push dust and gas particles straight away from the Sun, forming the tail. [Memory Trick: The Sun blew the comet's 'hair' straight back, 'away' from its face!]
The New Horizons spacecraft launched in 2006 and crossed Pluto in 2015, discovering Sputnik Planitia water-ice ice sheets. [Memory Trick: Seeking 'New Horizons' beyond the known planetary boundaries!]
The Oort Cloud is the theoretical origin region of long-period comets, named after Dutch astronomer Jan Oort. [Memory Trick: 'Ooh'-rt! It's so far and cold 'Ooh' out there!]
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf star belonging to the Alpha Centauri AB system, measuring as the absolute closest neighbor. [Memory Trick: 'Proxima' is in extreme 'proximity' to us!]
William Herschel coined the term because their greenish-round glow resembled the planet Uranus he had discovered. [Memory Trick: It was a 'planetary' optical illusion!]
The light waves of retreating galaxies are stretched out towards the longer, red end of the spectrum, proving expansion. [Memory Trick: Red lights say 'Go' far away from us!]
The Photosphere is the Sun's visible surface, measuring around 500 km thick with temperature averaging 5,500°C. [Memory Trick: This is where the Sun shoots 'Photos' (photons) of light to Earth!]
Sunspots are temporary cooling zones on the solar field, appearing darker because they are cooler than surrounding plasma. [Memory Trick: Little cooling freckle 'spots' on the face of the Sun!]
Neptune's deep cold atmosphere acts like friction-free slide, driving winds up with supersonic momentum. [Memory Trick: 'Neptune' is the blue wind machine of the outer ring!]
Mars' moons are named after the sons of Ares: Phobos (Fear) and Deimos (Terror or Dread). [Memory Trick: 'Phobia' (extreme fear) comes from the name 'Phobos'!]
Main sequence stars fuse millions of tons of hydrogen nuclei into helium every second, releasing massive thermal energy. [Memory Trick: 'Hydrogen' (H) is element #1, starting the galactic fire!]
Earth's gravitational pull accelerates the satellite inward, while its forward momentum makes it miss the planet, keeping it in perpetual orbit. [Memory Trick: Gravity acts like invisible holding hand 'attracting' satellite orbits!]
The Solar wind travels at supersonic speeds, shaping planetary magnetospheres and creating aurorae when hitting planetary atmospheres. [Memory Trick: A hot breezy 'wind' rushing off the Sun's crown!]
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