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Science Today Quiz

What would happen to earth if the Sun emitted a superflare?

  • Damage the ozone layer
  • Kill off species
  • Visible change in sunlight
  • All of the above

205

Nice work!

Superflares occur when a star has a magnetic outburst, releasing a burst of charged particles. Such events take place rarely on most stars, and probably even less often on our Sun. Check it out!

Nope.

All of the above. Superflares occur when a star has a magnetic outburst, releasing a burst of charged particles. Such events take place rarely on most stars, and probably even less often on our Sun. Check it out!

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556
205

Dark matter is made up of:

  • Weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs)
  • Brown dwarfs
  • Antimatter
  • We don’t know

203

That’s right!

We have no idea! Mysterious dark matter makes up most of the mass of the Universe. It sounds imaginary, but we know it exists because it influences us through the effect of gravity. Read more here.

Oops!

We have no idea! Mysterious dark matter makes up most of the mass of the Universe. It sounds imaginary, but we know it exists because it influences us through the effect of gravity. Read more here.

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203

What do Vesta and the moon have in common?

  • Astronomers have found proof that both were impacted with asteroids
  • Both have gone through planetary development
  • Both have an iron core
  • All of the above

207

Correct!

Learn more here.

Bummer!

All of the above. Learn more here.

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207

What is the force that rips a star apart as it approaches a black hole?

  • Weak force
  • Tidal force
  • Strong force
  • Electromagnetic force

206

Correct!

The tidal force is an effect of gravity, one of the four fundamental forces in nature—namely, the strong force, weak force, electromagnetic force, and gravity. Read more about the dangerous nature of black holes here.

Bummer!

The tidal force is an effect of gravity, one of the four fundamental forces in nature—namely, the strong force, weak force, electromagnetic force, and gravity. Read more about the dangerous nature of black holes here.

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206

What percent of Mercury’s radius is part of its core?

  • 27%
  • 55%
  • 85%
  • 73%

204

Yes!

NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft measured variations in Mercury’s gravitational pull to reveal that its core is larger than originally expected. Find out more here!

Sorry.

85%. NASA’s MESSENGER spacecraft measured variations in Mercury’s gravitational pull to reveal that its core is larger than originally expected. Find out more here!

You got out of correct. The average so far is .

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Science Today is the California Academy of Sciences’ channel for current stories on cutting-edge technologies, life, Earth, space and sustainability. Content is produced in-house and is distributed throughout the museum, on the internet and through various partners. Please share your comments on what you find important in the changing world of science.

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