10 quiz questions to explore the solar system

This science trivia quiz is all about our solar system. Apart from testing your knowledge, these bizarre facts are a reminder that truth is always stranger than fiction. 

What is the age of our solar system? 
4.571 billion years old. The solar system was born out of gigantic clouds of gas and dust, billowing out from a huge explosion referred to as the Big Bang. Scientists study meteorites to understand the age of the solar system and our galaxy.  

How much time does light take to travel from the sun to the earth? 
Eight minutes. The sun is very far from us, 147.3 million km to be precise. So we see the sun’s rays 8 minutes after the ray moves out of the sun.  

Which planet is closest to the sun? 
Mercury. It’s so hot on Mercury that life will never be possible. It’s also the smallest planet of the solar system, only a little bigger than our moon.  

Other than the sun, which star is closest to earth? 
Proxima Centauri. Though not visible without a telescope, the small star Proxima Centauri is part of the centaur constellation. It’s a red star, and scientists have found only two planets orbiting it so far.  

The term asteroid was first used by who? 
Charles Burney. Though the term asteroid was popularised by William Herschel, it was first used by a little-known Greek scientist called Charles Burney Junior.  

Oberon and Titania are moons of which planet? 
Uranus. Oberon and Titania were the names given by Shakespeare to the fairy king and queen in his play ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.  

What are the three basic components of comets? 
Ice, snow and dust. Comets are snowballs made up of ice, snow and dust, orbiting the sun. The dust and gas floats behind the comet and is called its tail, as it dashes around the sun in its path.  

What is the name of the largest volcano in our solar system? 
Olympus Mons. The hugest volcano discovered so far is on the smallest planet! Olympus Mons is an incredible 21.9 kilometres high, and is on Mars.  

After Neil Armstrong, who was the next person to land on the moon? 
Buzz Aldrin. He was part of the moon journey with Neil Armstrong. Apart from being an astronaut, he was also a fighter pilot and a brilliant mechanical engineer. 

How many years does it take Neptune to complete one revolution? 
165 years. Yes, Neptune is so far from the sun that one year on Neptune is 165 years on Earth!