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Solar system and space: GK questions and answers

Eight planets, one star and a great deal of empty space: here are the basic facts about our solar system, plus the milestones of space travel, including India's own.

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Ten questions picked at random from this topic, four choices each. Or go through every question as flash cards.

20 questions on solar system and space

  1. How many planets are there in our solar system? Eight Pluto has been classed as a dwarf planet since 2006.
  2. Which is the largest planet in the solar system? Jupiter Jupiter is a gas giant. Its Great Red Spot is a huge storm.
  3. Which is the smallest planet in the solar system? Mercury Mercury became the smallest planet when Pluto was reclassified.
  4. Which planet is nearest to the Sun? Mercury Mercury goes around the Sun in only 88 days.
  5. Which is the hottest planet? Venus Its thick atmosphere traps heat, so it is hotter than Mercury.
  6. Which planet is called the Red Planet? Mars Iron oxide, or rust, in its soil gives Mars a reddish colour.
  7. Which planet is best known for its bright rings? Saturn The rings are made of pieces of ice and rock.
  8. Which planet is called the Blue Planet? Earth About 71 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by water.
  9. Which planet is called the morning star or the evening star? Venus Venus is the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon.
  10. What is the Sun? A star The Sun is a medium-sized star made mostly of hydrogen and helium.
  11. About how long does sunlight take to reach the Earth? About 8 minutes The Sun is about 150 million km away. Light takes about 8 minutes and 20 seconds to cover that.
  12. What is the name of the galaxy we live in? Milky Way In Hindi it is called Akash Ganga.
  13. What is the natural satellite of the Earth? Moon The Moon goes around the Earth in about 27 days.
  14. Who was the first human to travel into space? Yuri Gagarin He flew in 1961.
  15. Who was the first human to walk on the Moon? Neil Armstrong He stepped onto the Moon in July 1969 during the Apollo 11 mission.
  16. What is the name of India's space agency? ISRO ISRO stands for Indian Space Research Organisation.
  17. Which Indian mission landed near the south pole of the Moon in August 2023? Chandrayaan-3 It landed on 23 August 2023.
  18. What is the popular name of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, launched in 2013? Mangalyaan It reached Mars orbit in September 2014, at India's first attempt.
  19. Which force keeps the planets moving around the Sun? Gravity The pull of the Sun's gravity holds the planets in their orbits.
  20. About how many days does the Earth take to go once around the Sun? 365 days It takes about 365 and a quarter days, which is why we have a leap year.

These are well-established facts, written in our own words and last checked on 11 November 2026. If your textbook says something different, follow your textbook and tell us.

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