Night Sky Trivia (Constellations, Planets, and Stars)

Look up in the sky! It’s time for trivia and it’s all about Constellations, Stars, and Planets. Test your skills and let me know how you did.

⁠⁠This episode is sponsored by LearnClash, 1v1 trivia duels on any topic. Try it free.

When you’re done with Night Sky Trivia, check out our other science trivia episodes.

Book of the Week

The Astronomy Handbook

This essential guide for every amateur astronomer explores the entire universe in one practical, easy-to-use, beginner-friendly handbook.
The Astronomy Handbook, by award-winning astronomy writer Govert Schilling, is the indispensable, go-to guide to everything you ever wanted or need to know about space, including:

the stars and the constellations
planets
comets
eclipses
galaxies
black holes
exoplanets
and much more

It also offers an excellent education for every amateur astronomer, including detailed and practical information on how to:

locate and track the movements of the constellations throughout the year
view the planets and the cosmos
select the best equipment to use, including telescopes and cameras
photograph objects in space

Schilling provides a fascinating history of astronomy, as well as clear and accessible explanations of binary, variable, and neutron stars; black holes and gamma-ray bursts; the formation and structure of galaxies; dark matter; and extraterrestrial life.The Astronomy Handbook is a primordial soup-to-nuts guide to the cosmos and an essential reference for every student of the universe.

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Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

Grab your telescope and get outside, it’s time for some Night Sky trivia. This week, it’s three rounds of things you’ll find in the firmament: Constellations, Planets, and Stars.

If you’re in search of more science trivia, visit DorkyGeekyNerdy.com. You can also become a patron and get ad-free episodes.

I’m guide and host, Brian Rollins and this is episode 396 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. Don’t be afraid to look up and let’s go.

The Dorky Round

Constellation Trivia

The Big Dipper is the common name for which ancient constellation?
a. Ursa Major or the Big Bear
The Pleiades star cluster is also known by what common name?
a. The Sisters
Castor and Pollux are the heads of what constellation?
a. Gemini, the Twins
Also called the Northern Cross, what constellation is a swan?
a. Cygnus
What constellation, named in 1756, is a carpenter’s level?
a. Norma
Cassiopeia is easily recognized by what letter‑shaped pattern?
a. A W or an M (depending on how you look at it)
Draco wraps around what constellation?
a. Ursa Minor
What constellation is found on the Australian flag?
a. Crux or the Southern Cross
What constellation is easily found by its distinctive 3-star “belt”?
a. Orion
If the constellation Sagittarius is the archer, what is the constellation Sagitta?
a. An arrow

The Geeky Round

Planet Trivia

What unusual rotational trait does Venus have?
a. It has a retrograde rotation, meaning it rotates backwards compared to other planets
Saturn’s rings are primarily made of what material?
a. Ice and rock particles
What planet has the fastest winds in the solar system?
a. Neptune. Winds can get up to 2000 km/h
What is the massive Red Spot on Jupiter?
a. A giant storm. It’s raged for centuries. Astronomers have observed it’s shrinking and is now slightly smaller than Earth.
Which planet has a longer day than a year?
a. Mercury. It takes 176 earth days to rotate on its axis, but 88 earth days to orbit the Sun.
To the best of our knowledge, which planet has the tallest planetary mountain?
a. Mars. Olympus Mons, a volcano, is 2.5 times the height of Mt. Everest.
Which planet is tilted on its axis at 98 degrees?
a. Uranus. It’s also the only planet with a Greek name.
Which planet has the most moons?
a. Saturn. At last count, it has 274 natural satellites
How many planets have just one moon?
a. Just one, Earth.
In 2006, what planet was “demoted” to dwarf planet status?
a. Pluto. The definition of “planet” was updated and Pluto failed on the third status: “has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit”.

The Nerdy Round

Star Trivia

What star, in Ursa Minor, is the earth’s north pole pointing at?
a. Polaris, typically called the North Star.
What is the brightest star in the night sky?
a. Sirius.
What is the closest star to our Sun?
a. Proxima Centauri. It’s 4.24 light-years away.
What star will you find at the “heart” of Leo?
a. Regulus
Antares is often mistaken for what planet due to its color?
a. Mars. Both are red.
Castor appears as a single star but is actually what?
a. A six-star system
A common setting in science fiction, what star was the destination for Ryland Grace in the book and film, Project Hail Mary?
a. Tau Ceti
Sharing a name with a Death Eater, what star is Orion’s right shoulder?
a. Bellatrix
Don’t say it three times, what is the star on Orion’s left shoulder?
a. Betelgeuse
Due to Earth’s cavitation, what star will be the North Star around the year 13724?
a. Vega

Episode Conclusion

Telescopes down, we’re done for the week. What did you think? I love astronomy and keep a Star Map app on my phone to help me find things at night.

Next week, it’s geography trivia. Here’s a hint:

What three countries will you find between St. Petersburg and Reykjavik?

You’re all trying to picture a globe, aren’t you? Good luck and I’ll see you again next Wednesday. Have a fantastic week.

This was the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. If you’d like to help support the show and get extra stuff, consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/dorkygeekynerdy.

This podcast is written, produced, and hosted by Brian Rollins. If you love audiobooks or are looking to have a book turned into an audiobook, contact me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

The theme music is Punchfunk by the band, Punchfunk. Listen to all their music on Spotify.

Thanks for listening.