Space trivia is the great equalizer: the universe is so strange that experts and beginners miss the same questions. Cover the answers, keep score, and be honest with yourself about the Mercury one.
Which planet in our solar system rotates on its side?
Uranus — its axis is tilted about 98 degrees, likely from an ancient collision.
How long does sunlight take to reach Earth?
About 8 minutes and 20 seconds.
Which planet is closest to Earth, averaged over time?
Mercury. It spends more time near us than Venus or Mars do.
What is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter — more than 1,300 Earths could fit inside it.
Which planet has the most moons confirmed so far?
Saturn — well over 200 confirmed and counting.
What was the first animal to orbit Earth?
Laika the dog, aboard Sputnik 2 in 1957.
Who was the first human in space?
Yuri Gagarin, in April 1961.
How many people have walked on the Moon?
Twelve, all between 1969 and 1972.
What did Apollo astronauts say the Moon smells like?
Spent gunpowder — the dust clung to their suits and had a burnt smell.
A day on which planet is longer than its year?
Venus. It rotates so slowly that one spin takes longer than one orbit of the Sun.
What is the hottest planet in our solar system?
Venus again — its thick atmosphere traps heat at around 900°F, hotter than Mercury.
What galaxy do we live in?
The Milky Way.
What is a light-year a measure of?
Distance — how far light travels in one year, about 5.9 trillion miles.
Which spacecraft is the farthest human-made object from Earth?
Voyager 1, launched in 1977 and now in interstellar space.
What color is the sunset on Mars?
Blue — fine dust scatters red light and lets blue through near the Sun.
What keeps astronauts' feet from floating during sleep on the ISS?
They zip into sleeping bags strapped to the wall.
If you got the Venus double — hottest planet and day-longer-than-year — you're allowed to be smug for the rest of the day.
