Can You Identify These Types of Celestial Bodies From NASA Pictures?

By: Talin Vartanian
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Can You Identify These Types of Celestial Bodies From NASA Pictures?
Image: Wiki Commons / NASA and European Space Agency [Public domain]

About This Quiz

A wide variety of celestial bodies live in the night sky. Some can be seen with the naked eye, while others live millions of light years away. Other celestial objects are only a few million years old, while others have been around since the beginning of time.

You might be thinking "What's a celestial object?" A celestial object (or celestial body) is basically anything natural that lives in our night sky. This includes galaxies, stars, clouds, gas, asteroids, comets and the planets in our solar system. Even our own planet, Earth, is considered to be a celestial body. Some are also very cold, while other objects are scorching hot, like the Sun. In fact, did you know that the surface temperature of the Sun is 5,778 K? This quiz may also teach you about celestial bodies that you've never heard of, such as M51a, Messier 81 and the Crab Nebula.

Today, we'll take a look at 40 amazing NASA images that showcase the celestial bodies in our night sky. It will be your job to match these images to the name of the celestial object from the answer list. These might include nebulae, galaxies, planets and much more! Take this quiz now to put your astronomy knowledge to the test!

Mercury
Wiki Commons / NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Carnegie Institution of Washington [Public domain]
This planet is 35.98 million miles from the Sun. Can you name it?
Mercury
Venus
Mars
Jupiter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mercury has an orbital period of 88 days and is located about 36 million miles from the Sun. It also orbits at a speed of 112,000 miles per hour.

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Asteroid
Wiki Commons / NASA/JPL [Public domain]
Which of these are known as "minor planets?"
Debris
Sun
Asteroids
Comets
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Asteroids are also known as "planetoids," depending on the size. Ceres is one of the most well-known asteroids.

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Venus
Wiki Commons / Banco de Imágenes Geológicas
Which of these planets features an orbital period of 225 days (around the Sun)?
Uranus
Jupiter
Venus
Neptune
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This planet is the second-shortest to the Sun (in terms of distance), which is exactly 67.24 million miles. It's also one of the brightest planets in the sky (from Earth).

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Planetary Nebula
Wiki Commons / NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team [Public domain]
Ionized gas allows a ______ _________ to glow.
Comet
Planetary nebula
Asteroid
Meteoroid
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Dying stars emit a type of gas that helps to make up the matter of these types of nebulae. These often look red and blue in color.

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Mars
Wiki Commons /ESA - European Space Agency & Max-Planck Institute for Solar System Research for OSIRIS Team ESA/MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA
What is the second-smallest planet in the solar system?
Jupiter
Mars
Neptune
Uranus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Mars takes 687 days to orbit the sun, and is located 141.6 million miles away from the Sun. Its moons are Phobos and Deimos.

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Earth
Wiki Commons / NASA/Apollo 17 crew; taken by either Harrison Schmitt or Ron Evans [Public domain]
Humans and animals inhabit this planet. Are you familiar with it?
Jupiter
Mercury
Venus
Earth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Earth is the only planet inhabited by humans and animals, and is mostly made up of water. It's also 92.96 million miles from the Sun.

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Cosmos Redshift 7
Wiki Commons By ESO/M. Kornmesser
Which of these is one of the oldest galaxies known to man?
Milky Way Galaxy
Tadpole Galaxy
Moon
Cosmos Redshift 7
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Cosmos Redshift 7 resides in the Sextans constellation, and is considered to be one of the oldest galaxies known to man. This galaxy is located 12.9 billion light years from Earth.

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Jupiter
Wiki Commons / NASA [Public domain]
The fifth most distant planet from the Sun is...?
Jupiter
Mars
Mercury
Earth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jupiter's moons are Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto and Megaclite. It also has an orbital period of 12 years, and is 483.8 million miles from the Sun.

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Neptune
Wiki Commons / NASA [Public domain]
This planet features 14 moons. Can you name it?
Mars
Earth
Neptune
Mercury
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neptune is very far from the Sun, with an approximate distance of 2.793 billion miles. Some of its moons are Psamathe, Naiad and Neso.

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Sombrero Galaxy
Wiki Commons / NASA/ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) [Public domain]
This galaxy is shaped like a sombrero. Can you name it?
Black Eye Galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy
Sombrero Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Sombrero Galaxy actually looks like the popular hat, the Sombrero. This is also a type of spiral galaxy and is located 29.35 million light years from Earth.

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Uranus
Wiki Commons / NASA/JPL-Caltech [Public domain]
Which of these planets spins on its side and is the seventh-furthest from the Sun?
Mars
Neptune
Uranus
Saturn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Uranus orbits on its side at an approximate 98 degrees. It also takes 84 years to complete one full orbit.

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Saturn
Wiki Commons / NASA / JPL / Space Science Institute [Public domain]
The radius of this planet is actually nine times bigger than the planet we live on. Can you name it?
Pluto
Mercury
Mars
Saturn
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Saturn has a very large radius of 36,184 miles, which is nine times bigger than Earth. The days on Saturn are also almost half of those on Earth, at about 10 hours and 34 minutes.

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Pluto
Wiki Commons / NASA / Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory / Southwest Research Institute [Public domain]
What is the name of this dwarf planet?
Uranus
Jupiter
Pluto
Earth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Pluto features five moons and is considered to be a dwarf planet in size. It also has an orbital period of 248 years.

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Sun
Wiki Commons / NASA/SDO (AIA) [Public domain]
This star has a surface temperature of 5,778 K. Can you name it?
Earth
Mercury
Pluto
Sun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When you look up at the sky during the day, you'll see the Sun (but don't directly stare at it)! The sun is also made up of hot plasma, with a surface temperature of 5,778 K.

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Moon
Wiki Commons / NASA [Public domain]
Neil Armstrong landed on the _______ .
Moon
Pluto
Asteroid
Comet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, as well as other astronauts like Charles Duke and Alan Bean. The moon takes 27 days to orbit the Earth.

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Comet
Wiki Commons / NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA [Public domain]
"Outgassing" is a process that is exuded by which of these celestial objects?
Comet
Satellite
Moon
Sun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You might have heard of Halley's Comet, which can only be seen about every 75 years. Comets also move through the sky very quickly, releasing gasses along the way.

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Meteor Shower
Wiki Commons by NASA
These rocky celestial objects are like small asteroids. What's the proper name for them?
Meteoroids
Asteroids
Galaxies
Nebulae
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Meteoroids are like mini-versions of asteroids, and can travel at speeds of up to 42 km/h. Asteroid belts are also responsible for producing some types of meteoroids.

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Emission Nebula
Wiki Commons / NASA/JPL-Caltech/E. Churchwell (University of Wisconsin-Madison) [Public domain]
Hydrogen causes this type of celestial body to glow red. Can you name it?
Moon
Emission nebula
Open cluster
Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Emission nebula emits a radiant red color due to excess amounts of hydrogen. Ionized gas is also responsible for forming this kind of nebula.

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Globular Cluster
Wiki Commons / NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) [Public domain]
This type of celestial body consists of small stars that cluster together. What is it?
Galaxy
Satellite
Horsehead nebula
Globular cluster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

M13 is a popular and well-known globular cluster in our universe. Globular clusters also orbit objects like a satellite would.

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Open Cluster
Wiki Commons / [Public Domain]
______ _______ are commonly found in the Milky Way Galaxy.
Open clusters
Messier 81
Pinwheel Galaxy
Triangulum Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Open clusters consist of thousands of stars that are "clumped" together. These types of clusters can also be found in spiral galaxies.

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Reflection Nebula
Wiki Commons / NASA [Public domain]
This type of nebula is known to reflect light from various stars near it. Can you name it?
Moon
Reflection nebula
Open cluster
Globular cluster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Reflection nebula emits a pretty blue color, which is reflected from stars that are near it. This results in a polarizing effect.

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Dark Nebula
Wiki Commons / By NASA/JPL-Caltech/WISE Team - WISE, Public Domain
An "absorption nebula" is also known as a _____ _____.
Planetary nebula
Emission nebula
Dark nebula
Sun
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

You probably won't be able to see much light behind a dark nebula, which is very dense in nature. This is also an irregular type of nebula.

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Supernova remnant
Wiki Commons / By X-ray: NASA/CXC/Rutgers/J.Hughes; Optical: NASA/STScI
When a star explodes in a supernova, it forms a...?
Supernova remnant
Dark nebula
Galaxy
Open cluster
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These colorful celestial bodies are actually the remnants of an exploding star. This is also known as the Crab nebula.

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Veil Nebula
Wiki Commons / NASA Hubble Space Telescope
Which of these celestial bodies are 50 light years in radius?
Comet
Asteroid
Meteoroid
Veil Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Veil Nebula is quite large in size, spanning at about 50 light years in radius! One light year equals to 5.8786×10^12 miles.

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Orion Nebula
Wiki Commons / NASA/Hubble [Public domain]
Which of these is located in the Orion constellation?
Carina Nebula
Orion Nebula
Eagle Nebula
Lagoon Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Orion Nebula can actually be seen by the human eye! It's also one of the brightest types of nebulae to exist.

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Whirlpool Galaxy
Wiki Commons / NASA and European Space Agency [Public domain]
Which of these celestial bodies is also known as M51a?
Whirlpool Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy
Horsehead Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This is the first type of galaxy to be referred to as a spiral galaxy, and resides in the Canes Venatici constellation. Other nicknames for this galaxy are M51a and NGC 5194.

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Ring Nebula
Wiki Commons / The Hubble Heritage Team (AURA/STScI/NASA) [Public domain]
This celestial body is shaped like a ring. Can you name it?
Moon
Sun
Horsehead Nebula
Ring Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Ring Nebula is exactly 2,283 light years from Earth and is shaped like a colorful ring. This nebula is also located in the Lyra constellation.

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Messier 81
Wiki Commons By NASA, ESA and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Which of these celestial bodies contains 250 billion stars?
Comet
Messier 81
Asteroid
Sombrero Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This spiral galaxy actually has 250 billion stars and is located in the Ursa Major constellation. It has a magnitude of 6.94.

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Messier 82
Wiki Commons By NASA, ESA, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)
Which of these celestial bodies has a magnitude of 8.41?
Triangulum Galaxy
Large Magellanic Cloud
Andromeda Galaxy
Messier 82
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This bright galaxy is located 11.42 million light years from Earth and is considered to be a starburst galaxy. It has a radius spanning 18,500 light years.

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Black Eye Galaxy
Wiki Commons by NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage
Edward Pigott discovered which of these celestial objects?
Black Eye Galaxy
Moon
Sun
Venus
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Black Eye Galaxy became official in 1779 and it was named by Edward Pigott. This type of galaxy is also 13.28 billion years old!

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Small Magellanic Cloud
Wiki Commons by ESA/Hubble
Which of these is considered to be a dwarf galaxy?
Jupiter
Small Magellanic Cloud
Pluto
Asteroid Belt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Also known as the Nubecula Minor, this type of galaxy is about 200,000 light years away from Earth. It also belongs to both the Hydrus and the Tucana constellations.

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Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
Wiki Commons By Rodrigo Ibata
Which of these celestial objects contains four globular clusters?
Sun
Moon
Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy
Pluto
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy is made up of many aged stars. It resides in the Milky Way Galaxy.

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Virgo Stellar Stream
Wiki Commons by R. Jay GaBany
What is the name of this stream within the Virgo Galaxy?
Open cluster
Horsehead Nebula
Virgo Stellar Stream
Andromeda Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

This doesn't refer to the type of water-based streams that are located on Earth. Rather, these stellar streams are formed from dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

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Tadpole Galaxy
Wiki Commons NASA, H. Ford (JHU), G. Illingworth (USCS/LO), M. Clampin (STScI), G. Hartig (STScI), the ACS Science Team, and ESA.
Which of these celestial objects is shaped like a tadpole?
M51a
Milky Way Galaxy
Andromeda Galaxy
Tadpole Galaxy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Tadpole Galaxy features a unique tadpole shape and is located 400 million light years from Earth. This galaxy spans a radius of 195,000 light years.

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Hoag's Object
Wiki Commons by NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team
Which of these galaxies is named after a well-known astronomer?
Arp 273
M51a
Hoag's Object
Eagle Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Hoag's Object was made official in 1950 by Arthur Hoag. It contains 8 billion stars.

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Arp 273
Wiki Commons by NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team
The ______ _______ is made up of interacting galaxies.
Arp 273
Eagle Nebula
Sombrero Galaxy
Helix Nebula
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Within the Andromeda Galaxy lies the Arp 273, which looks like a loose spiral of other galaxies. It's located 300 million light years from Earth.

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NGC 6357
Wiki Commons by Davide De Martin (ESA/Hubble)
Which of these nebulae are located in the Scorpius constellation?
Ghost Nebula
Carina Nebula
Horsehead Nebula
NGC 6357
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Located in the Scorpius constellation lies the NGC 6357, which also bears the nickname "Lobster Nebula." It's made up of both young stars and protostars.

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Cat's Eye Nebula
Wiki Commons by Evercat
Which of these celestial bodies looks like an eye?
Meteor
Cat's Eye Nebula
Horsehead Nebula
Asteroid Belt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Cat's Eye Nebula features a distinct eye-shaped feature, which is bright and colorful in nature. This is located in the Draco constellation.

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NGC 6302
Wiki Commons by Judy Schmidt
The Butterfly Nebula is also known as the _____ _____?
Andromeda Galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy
NGC 6302
Comet
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The NGC 6302 has a radius of 1.5 light years and features the nickname "Butterfly Nebula." This nebula also lives in the Scorpius constellation.

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Andromeda Galaxy
Wiki Commons NASA/JPL-Caltech [Public domain]
Which of these celestial bodies contains 200 billion stars?
Sun
Jupiter
Andromeda Galaxy
Moon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The spiral galaxy known as Andromeda is well-known for its ample amount of stars. It is located 2.537 million light years from Earth.

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You Got:
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Wiki Commons / NASA and European Space Agency [Public domain]