Astronomy 1000+ MCQ with answer for SSC Scientific Assistant

1. What is the direction of rotation of the earth on its axis?
A. East to West
B. South to North
C. North to South
D. West to East
Answer : D

2. How much time (approximately) does the light from the nearest star to the Sun take in reaching the earth?
A. 4.3 seconds
B. 4.3 years
C. 4.3 minutes
D. 4.3 hours
Answer : B

3. Polar circumference of the Earth is
A. 40000 km
B. 4000 km
C. 50000 km
D. 5000 km
Answer : A

4. Which of the following is known as 'King of Planets'?
A. Earth
B. Jupiter
C. Mercury
D. Venus
Answer : B

5. Which planet la known as a 'Morning Star' as well as an 'Evening Star'?
A. Venus
B. Uranus
C. Mercury
D. Mars
Answer : A

6. What is the average radius of the Earth?
A. 6071km
B. 6571km
C. 6371km
D. 6771 km
Answer : C

7. Which one of the following stars is nearest to the Earth?
A. Polaris
B. Alpha Centauri
C. Sun
D. Sirius
Answer : C

8. From west to east, what are the three main island groups in the Pacific called?
A. Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia
B. Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia
C. Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia
D. Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia
Answer : A

9. A 'black hole' is a body in space which does not allow any radiation to come out. This property is due to its
A. Very small size
B. Very large size
C. Very high density
D. Very low density
Answer : C

10. Smallest planet of our Solar System is _____.
A. Pluto
B. Earth
C. Venus
D. Mercury
Answer : A

11. A leap year consists of
A. 365 days
B. 365 days and 6 months
C. 364 days
D. 366 days
Answer : D

12. Orion and Great Bear stand for ______.
A. star
B. planet
C. Solar System
D. Constellation
Answer : D

13. What is the primary cause of the day and night?
A. Revolution
B. Rotation
C. Inclination of the earth's axis
D. Geoid shape of the earth
Answer : B

14. Going into the interior of the earth the weight of an object
A. Increases
B. Decreases
C. Remains unchanged
D. First increases and then decreases
Answer : A

15. On the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere which of the hollowing latitudes will have the longest night?
A. 45°S
B. 60°S
C. 60°N
D. 45°N
Answer : B

16. A family or system of millions and millions of stars are called ____.
A. Universe
B. Solar System
C. Galaxy
D. Asteroids
Answer : A

17. Hale Bopp' is a newly discovered ____.
A. Planet
B. Meteore
C. Satellite
D. Comet
Answer : D

18. Polar Auroras are called __ in Southern Hemisphere.
A. Aurora Australis
B. Quasars
C. Aurora Borealis
D. Pulsar
Answer : A

19. In which of the following planets, the Great Red Spot has been the special feature?
A. Jupiter
B. Saturn
C. Mars
D. Venus
Answer : A

20. The dark patches, associated with the Sun storms present in Sun are called
A. Sunspots
B. Pulsars
C. White Dwarfstar
D. Supernova
Answer : A

21. What is a 'synodic month'?
A. Moon's period of rotation on its axis with respect to the earth.
B. Moon's period of revolution around the earth.
C. Moon's period of revolution with respect to a star at infinity
D. Moon's period of revolution with respect to the Sun
Answer : D

22. The word 'planet' means ____.
A. wanderer
B. pollution
C. celestial body
D. heavenly body
Answer : A

23. The group of small pieces of rock revolving round the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter are called
A. meteors
B. comets
C. meteorites
D. asteroids
Answer : D

24. Which of the following statements is correct with reference to our Solar System?
A. The Earth is the densest of all the Planets in our Solar System
B. The predominant element in the composition of Earth is silicon
C. The sun contains 75 per cent of the mass of the Solar System
D. The diameter of the Sun is 190 times that of the Earth
Answer : A

25. Nearest star from the earth after Sun is
A. Proxima Centaury
B. Alfa Centaury
C. Dog Star
D. Constellation
Answer : A

26. Shoemaker-Levy 9 is a
A. Meteors
B. Pole Stars
C. Comets
D. Stars
Answer : C

27. Arrange the Outer Planets in increasing order of their sizes.
1. Jupiter
2. Uranus
3. Saturn
4. Neptune
A. 4, 2, 3, 1
B. 4, 2, 1, 3
C. 2, 4, 3, 1
D. 4, 2, 3, 1
Answer : A

28. What is the temperature of the sun estimated at approximately?
A. 5000°C
B. 6000°C
C. 7000°C
D. 212°C
Answer : B

29. Sunspots are
A. undulations on the solar surface
B. huge magnetic storms on the solar surface
C. places with adequate sunshine
D. places of tourist importance
Answer : B

30. Deimos and Phobos are the satellites of
A. Earth
B. Mars
C. Uranus
D. Neptune
Answer : B

31. The shortest route between two places is along the
A. longitudes
B. latitudes
C. rivers
D. direction of winds
Answer : A

32. What meridian is the International Date Line?
A. The 180° meridian
B. The O° meridian
C. The 90° meridian
D. The 135° meridian
Answer : A

33. What proportion of the mass of the earth does the mass of the Moon equal?
A. 1/81
B. 1/18
C. 1/27
D. 1/72
Answer : A

34. Largest planet of our Solar System is _____.
A. Jupiter
B. Mars
C. Saturn
D. Uranus
Answer : A

35. The tail of a comet is directed away from the Sun because
A. as the comet rotates around the Sun, the light mass of the comet is pushed away due to the centrifugal force alone
B. as the comet rotates, the lighter mass of the comet is attracted by some star situated in the direction of its tail
C. the radiation emitted by the Sun exerts a radial pressure on the comet throwing its tail away from the Sun
D. the tail of the comet always exists in the same orientation
Answer : A

36. Planet with nearly equal rotation and revolution time to the earth is _____.
A. Venus
B. Mercury
C. Uranus
D. Mars
Answer : A

37. Planet with maximum satellites is _____.
A. Earth
B. Saturn
C. Jupiter
D. Pluto
Answer : B

38. What is the primary cause of seasonal change on the surface of the earth?
A. Earth's revolution and inclination of its axis
B. Revolution
C. Earth's rotation and inclination of its axis
D. Rotation
Answer : A

39. When the earth is at its maximum distance from the Sun it is said to be in
A. Perigee
B. Apogee
C. Perihelion
D. Aphelion
Answer : D

40. The atmosphere of Venus contains large quantity of
A. Carbondioxide and sulphuric acid
B. Carbondioxide and nitric acid
C. Nitrogen and sulphuric acid
D. Nitrogen and nitric acid
Answer : A

41. The Sun experiences magnetic storms and this Interferes with the magnetic field oC the Earth and produces light which are called
A. Quasars
B. Polar Auroras
C. Meteorites
D. Pulsar
Answer : B

42. Period of sunspot cycle is
A. 11 years
B. 15 years
C. 21 years
D. 33 years
Answer : A

43. Which planet rotates on its axis from north to south?
A. Uranus
B. Venus
C. Mars
D. Pluto
Answer : A

44. Which of the following planets is called 'blue planet'?
A. Venus
B. Earth
C. Mars
D. Uranus
Answer : B

45. Rapidly rotating stars emitting intense radio waves are called ___.
A. Pulsars
B. Quasuars
C. Neutron stars
D. All of the above
Answer : A

46. How many planets does our Solar System consist of?
A. 9
B. 6
C. 7
D. 10
Answer : A

47. Big Bang Theory' explains
A. the formation of universe
B. the origin and evolution of earth's crust
C. formation of Solar System
D. formation of constellation
Answer : A

48. Sun-rays reaches earth in (approximately)
A. 8 seconds
B. 8 minutes
C. 4.3 seconds
D. 1 light year
Answer : B

49. If the Sun dies It will be transformed Into a
A. White Dwarf
B. Black Dwarf
C. Quasar
D. All of the above
Answer : B

50. Consider the following statements regarding asteroids:
1. Asteroids are rocky debris of varying sizes orbiting the Sun.
2. Most of the asteroids are small but some have diameter as large as 1000 km.
3. The orbit of asteroids lies between the orbits of
A. 1, 2 and 3 are correct
B. 2 and 3 are correct
C. 1 and 2 are correct
D. 1 and 3 are correct
Answer : C