Q 01/05

The word galaxy comes from a Greek word meaning what?

A) Starry

B) Heavenly

C) Spiral

D) Milky

Answer · why

D) Milky

It referred to the pale band of our own galaxy across the night sky.

Q 02/05

What type of galaxy is the Milky Way?

A) Lenticular

B) Elliptical

C) Barred spiral

D) Irregular

Answer · why

C) Barred spiral

A bar of stars runs through its core and merges into the spiral arms.

Q 03/05

What are the three main types of galaxy?

A) Active, quiet and dead

B) Elliptical, spiral and irregular

C) Ring, shell and bar

D) Dwarf, giant and supergiant

Answer · why

B) Elliptical, spiral and irregular

The Hubble sequence refines these by shape.

Q 04/05

Most of the mass in a typical galaxy is in what form?

A) Ordinary stars

B) Dark matter

C) Black holes

D) Hot gas

Answer · why

B) Dark matter

Only a few percent is visible as stars and nebulae.

Q 05/05

What is commonly found at the centre of a galaxy?

A) A giant neutron star

B) A massive white dwarf

C) A stellar nursery

D) A supermassive black hole

Answer · why

D) A supermassive black hole

Its existence in galactic cores was confirmed through X-ray astronomy.

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