Space Quiz

Six quizzes on the great enigmas of the cosmos: dark matter, black holes, the fate of the universe and life beyond Earth.

6 quizzes
1 topic
2 game modes

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Mysteries of the Universe quizzes

What you'll find in Mysteries of the Universe

Topics covered

Astronomy6

Game modes

Classic3 Yes or No3

Six quizzes about what is out there

Mysteries of the Universe collects six astronomy quizzes on the big questions we keep asking when we look up: what the universe is made of, how it might end, whether we are alone, and what black holes really do.

Two modes, three quizzes each

Three Classic multiple-choice quizzes, for reasoning about orders of magnitude, and three Yes or No quizzes, which are especially tricky on a subject where intuition is almost always wrong. A short collection, but far from easy.

More curiosities to explore

If you like facts that sound impossible, try Dino Master, or move on to the Periodic Table quiz for a taste of applied science.

Questions about Mysteries of the Universe, with answers

How old is the universe?

About 13.8 billion years. The estimate comes from the cosmic microwave background, the leftover light from when the universe became transparent, about 380,000 years after the beginning.

What is a light-year?

A distance, not a time: how far light travels in one year, about 5.9 trillion miles (9.46 trillion km). The star nearest the Sun is a little over four light-years away.

Why does looking far away mean looking back in time?

Because light takes time to arrive. A galaxy ten million light-years away is seen as it was ten million years ago: the night sky is an archive, not a snapshot of the present.

Was the Big Bang an explosion?

No, and that is the most misleading picture in popular science. Nothing blew up inside an already existing space: space itself began to expand, everywhere at once.

Frequently asked questions

How many quizzes are in Mysteries of the Universe?

Six quizzes: three in Classic mode and three in Yes or No mode.

What are the questions about?

The big mysteries of the cosmos: ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy, how the universe might end, the Fermi paradox, the multiverse and black holes.

Do I need a science background?

No. The questions are written for a general audience, though some need you to think about orders of magnitude.

Is the collection free?

Yes. Mysteries of the Universe is one of the Special Collections: the first quiz is open to everyone, and the rest unlock with a free account.