Question 1

What is astronomy?

Accepted Answer

Astronomy is the study of everything in space, like stars, planets, and galaxies. It's all about learning how the universe works and what it's made of.

Question 2

What is a star?

Accepted Answer

A star is a big, glowing ball of gas that gives off light and heat. The sun is the closest star to us, so it looks much bigger and brighter than other stars.

Question 3

What is a planet?

Accepted Answer

A planet is a large, round object that orbits, or moves around, a star. Our Earth is a planet, and it orbits around the sun.

Question 4

What is the solar system?

Accepted Answer

The solar system is the sun and all the objects that orbit around it, like planets, moons, and asteroids. Earth and our neighboring planets are part of this system.

Question 5

What is the Milky Way?

Accepted Answer

The Milky Way is the name of the galaxy we live in. It's a gigantic collection of stars, dust, and gas that looks like a big white band in the sky.

Question 6

What is a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A galaxy is a huge group of stars, dust, and gas held together by gravity. There are billions of galaxies in the universe, and each can have millions or even billions of stars.

Question 7

What is the universe?

Accepted Answer

The universe is everything that exists, including all the galaxies, stars, and planets. It's so big that we can't even see all of it.

Question 8

What is a black hole?

Accepted Answer

A black hole is a place in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape. It's like a super powerful vacuum cleaner sucking everything nearby.

Question 9

Who are astronomers?

Accepted Answer

Astronomers are scientists who study space and everything in it. They use telescopes and other tools to explore the universe and learn about how it works.

Question 10

What is a telescope?

Accepted Answer

A telescope is a tool that helps us see faraway objects in space. It makes distant stars and planets look closer and clearer.

Question 11

Why do stars twinkle?

Accepted Answer

Stars twinkle because their light passes through layers of air in Earth's atmosphere, and this makes the light bend and dance. It looks like the stars are twinkling.

Question 12

What does a comet look like?

Accepted Answer

A comet is a space object that looks like a bright ball with a long, glowing tail. It shines because sunlight reflects off its icy surface.

Question 13

What is a meteor?

Accepted Answer

A meteor is a tiny piece of space rock that burns up when it enters Earth's atmosphere. We often call them 'shooting stars' when we see them streak across the sky.

Question 14

What is the moon?

Accepted Answer

The moon is a big, rocky body that orbits Earth. It doesn't make its own light; we see it because it reflects light from the sun.

Question 15

Why do we have day and night?

Accepted Answer

We have day and night because Earth spins around like a top. When one side of Earth faces the sun, it has daylight. The other side is in darkness, so it's night there.

Question 16

What are constellations?

Accepted Answer

Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky that look like shapes or pictures. People have been using them for storytelling and navigation for thousands of years.

Question 17

Why is Pluto not considered a planet anymore?

Accepted Answer

Pluto was reclassified as a 'dwarf planet' because it's smaller than other planets and has a different orbit. It doesn't clear its path of other objects like a regular planet should.

Question 18

What is space?

Accepted Answer

Space is the vast, empty area beyond Earth's atmosphere where all the stars, planets, and galaxies are. It's mostly a vacuum, which means there's little or no air.

Question 19

What is a space mission?

Accepted Answer

A space mission is a trip into space to learn more about it. Astronauts or robots might go to study planets, moons, and other parts of the universe.

Question 20

How old is the universe?

Accepted Answer

The universe is about 13.8 billion years old. That's much older than anything on Earth and even older than the youngest estimated age of any of the planets and stars we can see!

The Basics of Astronomy: Understanding the Universe - 20 FAQs Explained Simply