10-Question Quiz About the Universe and Life: Test Your Science Knowledge

British spelling.

Question 1

Sound can travel through air, liquids, and solids.

At sea level, how fast do sound waves travel through the air?

(825 / 1,225 or 1,625 kilometres per hour)

Question 2

We give it little thought, but our galaxy, the Milky Way, with us onboard, is moving through space at a very high speed.

How fast is the Milky Way galaxy moving through space relative to the cosmic microwave background?

(1.1 / 1.6 or 2.1 million kilometres per hour)

Question 3

The electromagnetic spectrum has different wavelengths.

What has the longest wavelength?

(Radio waves / gamma rays or microwaves)

Question 4

What was the wingspan of Quetzalcoatlus, the now-extinct largest known animal that ever took to the skies?

(7 / 11 or 15 metres)

Question 5

Sagittarius A* is the name of the black hole at the centre of our galaxy the Milky Way.

It has a mass of how many times that of the Sun?

(2.3 / 3.3 or 4.1 million)

Question 6

Six of the eight planets in the Solar System have moons.

As of 21st July 2026, how many known moons are orbiting the six planets?

(316 / 416 or 516)

Question 7

The Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human to travel into space.

When did Yuri Gagarin make that historic flight?

(April 1959 / April 1961 or April 1963)

Question 8

An adult mayfly has one of the shortest lifespans.

How long does a mayfly live?

(1 / 3 or 5 days)

Question 9

Pluto was once classed as a planet but lost its title in August 2006.

How many moons are in orbit around the dwarf planet Pluto?

(2 / 5 or 8 moons)

Question 10

There is an estimate as to how many humans have ever lived.

How many humans have ever lived on Earth?

(57 / 87 or 117 billion)

Answer to question 1: 1,225 kilometres per hour.

Under certain conditions, wind speeds on Earth can be very high, but they would never reach the speed of sound. Planet Neptune is different; at high altitudes wind speeds can reach around 1.5 times the speed of sound.

Answer to question 2: 2.1 million kilometres per hour.

Yes, everything in the universe is in motion.

Answer to question 3: Radio waves.

At the opposite end of the electromagnetic spectrum are gamma rays, which have the shortest wavelengths.

Answer to question 4: 11 metres.

Quetzalcoatlus was a pterosaur, a type of flying reptile. It lived roughly 72 to 66 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous Period.

Answer to question 5: 4.1 million.

The event horizon of Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, has an estimated diameter of about 24 million kilometres.

Answer to question 6: 416 moons.

Earth has 1 moon. Mars has 2. Jupiter has 95. Saturn has 274. Uranus has 28, and Neptune has 16. July, 2026!

Answer to question 7: April 1961.

Not long after Yuri Gagarin, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American to enter space. That was on 5 May 1961.

Answer to question 8: 1 day.

Yes, some animal lives are very short and some are very long.

Answer to question 9: 5 moons.

The five moons of the dwarf planet Pluto are Charon, Nix, Styx, Kerberos, and Hydra.

Answer to question 10: 117 billion.

There are roughly 8 billion people alive at this time. Will there come a time when there are far too many of us, or has that time already come?

If you enjoyed my short quiz and found it interesting, I'd love to have you along for the journey. Feel free to follow and subscribe, and you'll be notified whenever I publish a new article. Thanks so much for reading and for your support! Andra.