Astronomy Trivia IV

ASTRONOMY TRIVIA IV

31) How many volcanoes are there on the surface of Venus?

Astronomers know of more than 1,600 volcanoes on its surface, but there are likely many more too small for us to see.

32) What color is Saturn?

GREEN YELLOW PURPLE BLUE

Saturn has a pale yellow hue due to ammonia crystals in its upper atmosphere.

33) What does Uranus smell like?

BARBECUE ALMONDS URINE ROTTEN EGGS

Uranus stinks. The planet's upper clouds are made of hydrogen-sulfide, the chemical compound that gives rotten eggs their terrible odor.

34) Why isn't Galileo credited with the discovery of Neptune?

HE HID HIS DISCOVERY HE DIDN'T KNOW IT EXISTED NO ONE BELIEVED HIM HE THOUGHT IT WAS A STAR

Some of the earliest recorded observations ever made through a telescope, Galileo's drawings on 28 December 1612 and 27 January 1613, contain plotted points that match up with what is now known to be the position of Neptune. On both occasions, however, Galileo seems to have mistaken Neptune for a fixed star.

35) Which definition of a "planet" does Pluto fail to meet?

IT MUST BE IN ORBIT AROUND THE SUN PLUTO MEETS ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS IT MUST HAVE CLEARED THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND ITS ORBIT IT MUST BE MASSIVE ENOUGH TO BE ROUNDED BY ITS OWN GRAVITY

Pluto's mass is substantially less than the combined mass of the other objects in its orbit: 0.07 times, in contrast to Earth, which is 1.7 million times the remaining mass in its orbit (excluding the moon). As a result, Pluto has failed to clear the neighborhood around its orbit.

36) What is the appearance of a comet called?

PAGEANT APPARITION EMERGENCE MANIFESTATION

The arrival and appearance of a comet in the inner solar system, where it may be relatively bright for a few weeks or months, is termed an apparition.