Solar System Quiz

1. What is the primary difference between a planet and a dwarf planet?

A) A dwarf planet does not orbit the Sun. B) A dwarf planet has not cleared its orbit of other debris. C) A dwarf planet is smaller than a planet by definition. D) A dwarf planet does not have a nearly round shape.

2. Which region of the solar system is primarily populated by icy bodies and dwarf planets like Pluto?

A) Asteroid Belt B) Kuiper Belt C) Oort Cloud D) Protoplanetary Disk

3. What causes a comet to display a visible coma and tail when near the Sun?

A) Its rocky surface heats up and releases dust. B) Solar wind interacts with its magnetic field. C) Sublimation of ice and release of gas and dust. D) Gravitational forces from nearby planets.

4. Which of the following is NOT a gas giant?

A) Jupiter B) Saturn C) Uranus D) Neptune

5. What is the unit of distance equal to the average distance between Earth and the Sun?

A) Light-year B) Astronomical Unit (AU) C) Parsec D) Kilometer

6. Which celestial object is responsible for producing solar wind?

A) The Moon B) Jupiter C) The Sun D) A black hole

7. What is the term for the spinning of a celestial body around its own axis?

A) Revolution B) Rotation C) Orbit D) Equinox

8. During which event is day and night of approximately equal length everywhere on Earth?

A) Solstice B) Perihelion C) Equinox D) Aphelion

9. Which model places the Sun at the centre of the solar system with planets orbiting around it?

A) Geocentric B) Heliocentric C) Nebular D) Protoplanetary

10. What is a meteoroid that survives its passage through Earth's atmosphere and lands on the surface called?

A) Meteor B) Comet C) Meteorite D) Asteroid