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Active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes are collectively known as _______.
- Quasars
- Pulsars
- Magnetars
- Blazars
Answer: Quasars
Quasi-stellar radio sources (quasars) are extremely luminous active galactic nuclei where accretion onto supermassive black holes releases immense energy.
Which European Space Agency mission studied comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko?
- Giotto
- Rosetta
- Stardust
- Deep Impact
Answer: Rosetta
ESA's Rosetta orbited comet 67P from 2014-2016, deploying the Philae lander. It provided unprecedented data on cometary composition and activity.
How many ground stations support the NavIC network across India?
- 10
- 15
- 21
- 30
Answer: 21
NavIC operates with a network of 21 ranging and integrity monitoring stations across India for precise orbit determination and signal correction.
Main sequence stars generate energy primarily through which process?
- Nuclear fission
- Hydrogen fusion
- Helium fusion
- Carbon burning
Answer: Hydrogen fusion
Main sequence stars fuse hydrogen into helium in their cores via the proton-proton chain or CNO cycle, releasing energy that counteracts gravitational collapse.
Which propellant combination does the Vikas engine used in PSLV/GSLV utilize?
- Solid + Liquid
- UDMH + N2O4
- LH2 + LOX
- Kerosene + LOX
Answer: UDMH + N2O4
The Vikas engine, derived from France's Viking engine, uses hypergolic propellants: Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine (UDMH) as fuel and Nitrogen Tetroxide (N2O4) as oxidizer.
Gravitational waves were first directly detected by LIGO in which year?
- 2013
- 2015
- 2017
- 2019
Answer: 2015
LIGO made the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GW150914) on September 14, 2015, from merging black holes, confirming Einstein's prediction.
Who was the second person to walk on the Moon?
- Neil Armstrong
- Buzz Aldrin
- Pete Conrad
- Alan Shepard
Answer: Buzz Aldrin
Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin followed Neil Armstrong onto the lunar surface approximately 19 minutes after Armstrong during Apollo 11's EVA on July 20, 1969.
Which satellite series is dedicated to oceanographic studies in India?
- Cartosat
- Oceansat
- Resourcesat
- Megha-Tropiques
Answer: Oceansat
Oceansat satellites carry ocean color monitors and scatterometers for studying sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, wind vectors, and marine resources.
Mangalyaan entered Mars orbit using which technique to save fuel?
- Direct transfer
- Ballistic capture
- Hohmann transfer with aerobraking
- Gravity assist from Venus
Answer: Ballistic capture
ISRO used a ballistic capture trajectory, arriving at Mars with minimal relative velocity, reducing fuel needed for orbit insertion compared to traditional methods.
Which space agency developed the Vega launch vehicle?
- NASA
- ESA
- Roscosmos
- CNSA
Answer: ESA
Vega is a small-lift launch vehicle developed by ESA (primarily Italy and France) for launching small scientific and Earth observation satellites.
Neutron stars are incredibly dense; a teaspoon of neutron star material would weigh approximately _______ on Earth.
- 1 ton
- 100 tons
- 1 billion tons
- 1 trillion tons
Answer: 1 billion tons
Neutron stars have densities of ~10^17 kg/m³. A cubic centimeter (teaspoon-sized) would weigh roughly a billion metric tons due to degenerate neutron matter.
Which mission collected samples from asteroid Bennu and returned them to Earth in 2023?
- Hayabusa2
- OSIRIS-REx
- Lucy
- Psyche
Answer: OSIRIS-REx
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission returned a capsule containing asteroid Bennu samples to Utah on September 24, 2023, for laboratory analysis.
Sun-synchronous orbits are primarily used for which type of satellites?
- Communication
- Navigation
- Earth Observation
- Geostationary Weather
Answer: Earth Observation
Sun-synchronous orbits maintain constant illumination angles, ideal for consistent imaging conditions required by remote sensing and earth observation satellites.
The Local Group of galaxies includes the Milky Way, Andromeda, and which other major galaxy?
- Triangulum Galaxy
- Sombrero Galaxy
- Whirlpool Galaxy
- Pinwheel Galaxy
Answer: Triangulum Galaxy
The Local Group contains three large spiral galaxies: Milky Way, Andromeda (M31), and Triangulum (M33), plus dozens of dwarf galaxies.
Valles Marineris is a vast canyon system located on which celestial body?
- Moon
- Venus
- Mars
- Mercury
Answer: Mars
Valles Marineris stretches over 4,000 km across Mars' equator, making it the largest canyon system in the solar system, dwarfing Earth's Grand Canyon.
Which country operates the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System?
- Japan
- South Korea
- China
- India
Answer: China
BeiDou is China's global satellite navigation system, operational since 2020, providing positioning, navigation, and timing services worldwide.
How many astronauts (Gaganauts) are planned for the first crewed Gaganyaan mission?
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Answer: 3
The first crewed Gaganyaan mission plans to carry three Indian astronauts to a 400 km orbit for up to three days.
Comet NEOWISE was visible to the naked eye from Earth in which year?
- 2018
- 2020
- 2022
- 2024
Answer: 2020
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) became visible to the naked eye in July 2020, one of the brightest comets in decades, discovered by NASA's NEOWISE mission.
Stellar-mass black holes typically form from the collapse of stars with initial masses greater than _______ solar masses.
- 5
- 10
- 20
- 50
Answer: 20
Stars with initial masses above ~20-25 solar masses typically end their lives as core-collapse supernovae, leaving behind black holes. Lower-mass stars become neutron stars or white dwarfs.
Which space telescope discovered the TRAPPIST-1 system with seven Earth-sized planets?
- Kepler
- TESS
- Spitzer
- James Webb
Answer: Spitzer
While initial discoveries came from ground-based TRAPPIST telescopes, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope confirmed and characterized the seven-planet system in 2017.