CURIOUSITY QUIZ: OBSERVING THE SKY

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Test Your knowledge on 'Observing The Sky' devised according to the DAV school science syllabus of 'My Living World' for Class-5. Attempt all the questions by clicking on the right option. Submit the completed Form by clicking the 'Submit' button at the end of the Form. Get your score and the correct answer by clicking the 'View score' button. Good Luck! (Although the quiz is primarily meant for Class-5, students from Class-6 to Class-10 can, however, participate and enjoy the fun of the quiz. This quiz is also suitable for Class- 8 students as the chapter entitled 'Stars and the Solar System' of the NCERT textbook for this class has been frequently referred to for designing the content of the quiz )

Before attempting the quiz, you may read an overview of the topic given below which will make you feel easier to answer the questions.

Overview:

All the stars that we see at night used to slowly shift from east to west because of earth's rotation around its axis. Because the Pole Star is directly situated over the earth's axis ( at the north pole) it remains fixed at a particular place. From time immemorial, the travellers and sailors have been using the Pole Star as their guide to determine the directions. People have also imagined different star groups
of recognisable shapes called constellations. We see different constellations at different times of the year because of the Earth's revolution around the Sun in space. Ancient people were able to tell the season and month of the year depending on the rising and setting of certain stars in the sky. Saptarshi or the Great Bear or the Big Dipper is a bright constellation in the northern skies looking like a question mark figure. We can join the two beginning stars of this question mark (called the Pointer Stars) figure and go along a straight line to meet the Pole Star. Other bright constellations of the night sky are Orion that looks like a hunter, Scorpios that looks like a scorpion and Cassiopeia that looks like a 'W' shaped figure. While stars twinkle, planets used to give a constant light because of their comparatively nearby distance from us. Also, while the stars remain fixed in the sky, the planets used to move in their background over time giving their name in Greek that means wanderers. We can see only five nearby planets in the sky with unaided eyes. It is highly dangerous to look at the Sun with a telescope without proper filters.

Now, attempt the quiz.

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From time immemorial , the study of various celestial (heavenly) objects like the Sun, the Stars, the Moon and the planets helped people to devise calendars and almanacs for better understanding of various natural phenomena (like seasons and climate) that benefitted them in their agricultural practices and observance of festivals in their daily life. The science of the study of celestial objects as regards to their position and motion is called:

1 point

Astrophysics

Astronomy

Astrology

Cosmology

Clear selection

Which planets of our Solar System are never visible in the sky at midnight as they are only seen little before sunrise and little after sunset ?

1 point

Mercury only

Venus only

Saturn only

Both Mercury and Venus

Clear selection

The word 'Planet' is derived from the Greek word 'Planetes', meaning 'wanderer'. The planets are named so because :

1 point

They used to rotate about their own axis unlike stars.

They used to revolve around the Sun in fixed paths.

They do not twinkle like stars.

They move listlessly across the sky in the background of the fixed stars.

Clear selection

How many planets can we see in the night sky with unaided eye? What are these planets?

1 point

2 (Mercury and Venus)

5 ( Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn)

4 ( Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter )

3 ( Mercury, Venus and Mars)

Clear selection

Different stars appear to have different colours . The star Rigel of Orion looks blue whereas the star Betelgeuse of the same constellation is red. Our Sun is a yellowish star. The colours of the stars tell about their :

1 point

Size

Distance

Brightness

Temperature

Clear selection

It is extremely harmful to observe the Sun directly with naked eyes or with a telescope as it may cause permanent damage to the eyes. How do the scientists observe a solar eclipse safely?

1 point

By using special filters that will cut off most of the visible lights from the Sun.

By projecting the image of the Sun on a screen with the help of a telescope.

Both the above answers are correct

By observing the Sun in a dark glass.

Clear selection

I am a well-known constellation visible in the northern skies comprising seven bright stars. I am called Ursa Major in Latin. Some people imagined me as a bear , plough or a spoon and, hence, gave different names to me . What do the Indians call me in mythology?

1 point

Shishumara

Akash Ganga

Saptarshi

Kalpurush

Clear selection

The common spring constellation Ursa Major is also called the Big Dipper. The term Big Dipper means :

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A question mark symbol

A big spoon (ladle) with a bowl and a handle

A bear shape

A plough

Clear selection

How can the two Pointer stars of the constellation Ursa Major (named as Dubhe and Merak) be used to find out the Pole Star?

1 point

By extending the imaginary line formed by joining the two Pointer stars towards the North by four times their separating distance.

By extending the imaginary line formed by joining the two Pointer stars towards the South by five times their separating distance.

By extending the imaginary line formed by joining the two Pointer stars towards the North by five times their separating distance.

By extending the imaginary line formed by joining the two Pointer stars towards the South by four times their separating distance.

Clear selection

The sailors going along the seas generally use the Pole Star as their guide to locate directions in the sky during their long voyages as the Pole Stars never changes its position in the sky with time. Why does the Pole star appear to be fixed in the sky?

1 point

The Pole Star lies close to the Earth's equator.

Sun's gravitational force is very weak at the Pole Star.

The Pole star does not wander like planets.

The Pole Star lies close to the axis of rotation of the Earth.

Clear selection

The Orion is a well-known and magnificent constellation having three very bright stars at its middle that can be seen during a winter night . It is commonly imagined like a :

1 point

King

Devil

Hunter

Demon

Clear selection

When the constellation Orion sets in the sky in the western sky in Summer evenings, another bright constellation used to rise in the sky from the eastern sky. It is almost unique among constellations in that it actually looks something like what it’s named after . The Greeks believe that it chases the evil minded Orion in the sky and stings it to death leading to the latter's setting down the horizon. Can you identify the constellation ?

1 point

Ophiuchus ( meaning serpent-bearer: a man grasping snake)

Hydra (meaning water snake)

Serpens Cauda (meaning the tail of the serpent)

Scorpius (meaning an insect scorpion)

Clear selection

I am a prominent constellation of the night sky that looks like a distorted 'W' shape figure and mostly visible during the late autumn or early winter evenings . I am regarded as an arrogant Greek queen boasting of her beauty and commonly called the 'Lady on the Chair'. Can you identify me?

1 point

Ursa Minor

Cassiopeia

Cepheus

Andromeda

Clear selection

The Evening Star rises in the sky. Which direction does it signify ?

1 point

East

West

North-east

It can be both East or West depending on the season.

Clear selection

The starry sky appears to slowly move from East to West with time. This is because :

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The Earth used to revolve around the Sun in its annual orbit.

The Earth used to rotate about its own axis in its daily motion.

Both due to the revolution of the Earth around the Sun and its daily motion about its own axis.

The stars do have their own motions in the sky.

Clear selection

Which is NOT true true about the Pole Star?

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It symbolizes the North direction of the sky.

It belongs to a constellation called the Ursa Minor.

It is located more than the Sun's distance away from us.

It is a very bright star.

Clear selection

Constellations are groups of stars devised by ancient people to identify the stars that appear to form recognizable shapes in the sky. The imagined shapes of the constellations resemble mostly to :

1 point

Wild animals

Mythological characters

Gods and Demons

Familiar objects and animals

Clear selection

The well-known constellation Ursa Major is often imagined as a bear shape giving the name Great Bear. But there are only seven stars in it. How then the bear shape can be imagined ?

1 point

Only an artist can imagine a bear shape out of the seven stars visible in the constellation.

The constellation has many faint stars also apart from the seven bright stars.

The end stars of the question mark of the said constellation forms the tail of the bear shape.

We can, however, stretch our imagination to imagine a bear shape out of the few bright stars of the said constellation.

Clear selection

Why do we see different constellations at different parts of the year?

1 point

This is due to the Earth's revolution around the Sun .

This is due to the Earth's rotation about its own axis.

Both due to the revolution of the Earth around the Sun and its daily motion about its own axis.

The constellations actually move slowly with time in the sky.

Clear selection

What is NOT true about the constellations?

1 point

They used to appear in our sky again and again in a fixed time of the year.

They do have many faint stars apart from the few bright stars that we can readily see.

All the stars of a constellation shift together in the sky due to Earth's motion thereby maintaining a constant shape over time.

All the stars of a constellation are actually located at the same distance away from us so that we can see their shapes in the same plane of the sky.

Clear selection

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