Test you knowledge of the Galaxy 1 / 10 What makes Alpha Centauri special in the Milky Way? It contains a black hole It is the oldest known star It is the brightest star in the sky It is the closest star system to the Sun 2 / 10 What percentage of the Milky Way's mass is believed to be dark matter? About 10% About 25% About 85% About 50% 3 / 10 What is the diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy? 50,000 light-years 200,000 light-years About 100,000 light-years 500,000 light-years 4 / 10 What is the Crab Nebula? A reflection nebula A supernova remnant from an explosion observed in 1054 AD A dark nebula absorbing nearby light A planetary nebula formed by a red giant 5 / 10 What is the event horizon of a black hole? The black hole's core A magnetic field boundary The point where stars are pulled in The boundary beyond which nothing can escape the black hole's gravity 6 / 10 How thick is the Milky Way's disk? 10,000 light-years About 1,000 light-years thick 5,000 light-years 50 light-years 7 / 10 What will eventually happen to the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies? Andromeda will pass by the Milky Way without interaction They will collide in about 4-5 billion years They will expand away from each other They will merge into a black hole 8 / 10 What are the Pillars of Creation within the Eagle Nebula? Regions of intense gamma-ray bursts Areas of dark matter Columns of gas and dust where new stars are being formed Remnants of a supernova explosion 9 / 10 What is a “galactic year”? The rotation period of the galactic bar. The length of a year in the galactic core. The time it takes for the solar system to orbit the center of the Milky Way, about 230 million years. The time it takes for a star to form. 10 / 10 What shape is the Milky Way Galaxy? Elliptical Spiral Irregular Ring Your score isThe average score is 0% 0% Restart quiz