Q 01/05

Which winter months does the Northern Hemisphere have, when it is summer south of the equator?

A) September, October, November

B) December, January, February

C) March, April, May

D) June, July, August

Answer · why

B) December, January, February

Australians can spend Christmas on the beach because their winter falls in June, July and August.

Q 02/05

What is special about the winter solstice, around December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere?

A) It is the coldest day

B) It is the shortest day of the year

C) It is the snowiest day

D) It is when winter ends

Answer · why

B) It is the shortest day of the year

The Sun makes its lowest arc across the sky, and the coldest weather usually comes a few weeks later.

Q 03/05

How many arms or sides does a typical snowflake have?

A) Four

B) Five

C) Six

D) Eight

Answer · why

C) Six

That comes from the hexagonal way water molecules lock together as ice.

Q 04/05

Who was the first person to photograph individual snowflakes, starting in 1885?

A) Ansel Adams

B) Louis Daguerre

C) Wilson Bentley

D) Benjamin Franklin

Answer · why

C) Wilson Bentley

He caught the flakes on black velvet and worked fast, before they melted, and became known as Snowflake Bentley.

Q 05/05

Ice is actually clear. Why does snow look white?

A) It contains chalk dust

B) It reflects the clouds

C) The tiny crystals scatter all colours of light

D) It is frozen milk vapour

Answer · why

C) The tiny crystals scatter all colours of light

All the colours bouncing off the crystal surfaces mix together, and mixed light looks white to our eyes.