Test your knowledge on the great cosmic events in our universe, from supernovae to the Big Bang and more.
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's outer layers expand and cool, causing the star to become much larger and brighter?
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Red giant phase
What is the term for an extremely energetic explosion that has been observed in distant galaxies, believed to be associated with the collapse of a rapidly rotating, high-mass star into a black hole?
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Gamma-ray burst
What is the name of the event that occurs when a meteoroid reaches Earth's surface without burning up completely?
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Meteorite
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's core runs out of fuel and contracts, causing the outer layers of the star to be ejected into space?
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Planetary nebula formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a burst of X-rays to be emitted?
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X-ray flare
What is the name of the event that occurs when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up, creating a streak of light in the sky?
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Meteor
What is the name given to the hypothetical cosmic event where the expansion of the universe accelerates indefinitely, eventually tearing apart all structures in the cosmos?
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Big Rip
What is the term for a cosmic event in which a star's outer layers are expelled due to pulsations and strong stellar winds?
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Asymptotic Giant Branch
What is the name of the phenomenon where a star explodes and becomes extremely bright for a short period of time?
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Supernova
What is the term for a massive explosion resulting from the collision of two white dwarfs?
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Double Degenerate Supernova
What is the name of the event that occurs when a comet passes close to the Sun, causing its icy surface to vaporize and form a glowing tail?
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Comet
What is the term for a cosmic event in which a star's outer layers are ejected due to strong stellar winds?
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Wolf-Rayet Phase
What is the name of the event that occurs when two neutron stars collide and release a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves?
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Kilonova
What is the name of the event that occurs when the moon passes between the sun and Earth, blocking all or part of the sun's light?
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Solar eclipse
Which cosmic event refers to the theoretical point in time at which our universe began from an infinitely dense and hot state?
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The Big Bang
What is the name of the event that occurs when a large asteroid or comet collides with the Earth?
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Impact event
What is the name of the event that occurs when a larger asteroid or comet collides with Earth, creating a crater and potentially causing widespread damage?
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Impact
What is the term for the hypothetical cosmic event in which the universe continues to expand indefinitely, eventually leading to the dispersal of all matter?
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Heat Death
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a dark spot to appear on the surface of the star?
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Sunspot
Which cosmic event is the result of a massive star undergoing a supernova explosion and collapsing under its own gravity?
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Formation of a black hole
What is the name of the event that occurs when a white dwarf star accumulates too much mass and explodes?
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Type Ia supernova
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's core collapses under its own gravity, forming a dense remnant with a mass between 1.4 and 3 solar masses?
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Neutron Star Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when the Earth passes between the Sun and Moon, causing the Earth's shadow to fall on the Moon?
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Lunar Eclipse
Which cosmic event occurs when a white dwarf steals material from a companion star, causing a runaway nuclear reaction?
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Type Ia Supernova
Which type of cosmic event results from the collision of two neutron stars?
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Kilonova
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a burst of radio waves to be emitted?
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Radio burst
What is the name of the event that occurs when a small piece of debris from space enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns up?
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Meteor
What is the name of the event that occurs when a galaxy merges with another galaxy, causing a burst of star formation and potentially triggering the formation of a supermassive black hole?
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Galaxy Merger
Which cosmic event occurs when a massive star reaches the end of its life and collapses under its own gravity?
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Supernova
What is the name of the event that occurs when two or more planets appear close together in the sky?
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Conjunction
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's core collapses and becomes a singularity with infinite density and zero volume?
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Black hole formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's core collapses and becomes a very dense object made mostly of quarks?
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Quark star formation
Which astronomical event occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking sunlight from reaching the Earth?
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Solar Eclipse
What is the name of the event that occurs when a black hole swallows a nearby star?
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Tidal disruption event
What is the name of the event that occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel and collapses in on itself, causing a huge explosion?
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Type II supernova
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's core collapses and becomes so dense that it bends the paths of light passing near it?
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Gravitational lensing
What is the name of the event that occurs when a neutron star forms from the collapsed core of a massive star?
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Neutron Star Formation
Which cosmic event occurs when two galaxies pass through each other due to their mutual gravitational attraction, causing them to merge into one larger galaxy?
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Galactic collision
What is the name of the event that occurs when a planet or other celestial body passes in front of a star, temporarily blocking its light?
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Transit
What is the name of the event that occurs when a pulsar emits a beam of radiation that points towards Earth, causing periodic pulses of light to be observed?
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Pulsar
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's core collapses under its own gravity, forming a dense remnant composed almost entirely of neutrons?
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Neutron Star Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a stream of charged particles to flow out into space?
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Solar wind
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a coronal mass ejection?
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CME
What is the name of the event that occurs when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by a comet, causing many meteors to be visible in the sky?
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Meteor shower
What is the name of the event that occurs when a white dwarf star suddenly increases in brightness due to matter falling onto its surface?
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Accretion Event
What is the name of the event that occurs when a massive star collapses in on itself and forms a singularity with infinite density and zero volume?
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Black hole formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star is gravitationally lensed by a massive object, causing its light to be distorted and magnified?
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Gravitational Lensing
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star expands and cools as it nears the end of its life cycle?
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Red Giant Phase
What is the name of the cosmic event characterized by a sudden increase in brightness followed by a gradual fading?
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Nova
What is the name of the phenomenon where a star explodes and becomes extremely bright for a short period of time?
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Supernova
What is the term for the process by which a star's core collapses and rebounds, sending out a shock wave that causes the outer layers to explode?
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Core-Collapse Supernova
What is the name given to the hypothetical explosion that marked the origin of the universe?
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The Big Bang
What is the name of the event that occurs when a spacecraft or other object from Earth lands on another celestial body?
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Landing
What is the name of the event that occurs when a pulsar emits a beam of radiation that points directly at Earth?
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Pulsar beacon
What is the name of the event that occurs when two black holes merge together and release a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves?
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Black hole merger
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's outer layers are stripped away by a nearby massive star?
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Stellar cannibalism
What is the name of the event that occurs when two spacecraft or other objects from Earth meet up in space?
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Rendezvous
Which cosmic event occurs when a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion and leaves behind a rapidly spinning neutron star?
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Pulsar Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a spacecraft or other object from Earth comes close to another celestial body but does not land?
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Flyby
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's core collapses under its own gravity, forming a dense remnant with a mass greater than three solar masses?
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Black Hole Formation
What is the name of the hypothetical cosmic event involving the rapid expansion of the universe at a rate much faster than the speed of light?
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Cosmic Inflation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy accretes matter and emits a huge amount of energy?
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Quasar
What is the name of the event that occurs when a small asteroid or comet enters Earth's atmosphere and explodes, releasing a large amount of energy?
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Airburst
What is the name of the event that occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel and undergoes a catastrophic explosion?
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Supernova
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a loop of gas to rise up from the surface of the star?
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Prominence
What is the name of the event that occurs when two neutron stars merge, releasing a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation?
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Kilonova
What is the name of the event that occurs when a massive star collapses and forms a black hole, causing a burst of gamma rays?
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Gamma Ray Burst
What is the name of the event that occurs when a white dwarf star suddenly increases in brightness due to a thermonuclear explosion?
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Nova
Which cosmic event is caused by the release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun's atmosphere?
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Solar Flare
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's core collapses under its own gravity, forming a dense remnant with a mass less than 1.4 solar masses?
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White Dwarf Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a spacecraft or other object from Earth goes into orbit around another celestial body?
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Orbiting
What is the term for a celestial object that suddenly appears in the sky and becomes visible due to a cosmic event?
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Transient
What is the term for the boundary around a black hole beyond which no information or matter can escape?
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Event Horizon
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star passes too close to a black hole and is torn apart by tidal forces?
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Spaghettification
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's core collapses under its own gravity, forming a dense remnant composed mostly of electrons?
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White Dwarf Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star collapses under its own gravity and becomes incredibly dense?
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Black Hole Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a burst of energy to be released?
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Flare
Which cosmic phenomenon involves two black holes merging into one?
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Black Hole Collision
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star loses mass and creates a shell of gas around it, forming a planetary nebula?
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Planetary Nebula Formation
What is the name of the event that occurs when two black holes merge, releasing a huge amount of energy in the form of gravitational waves?
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Black Hole Merger
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines twist and snap, releasing a huge amount of energy?
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Magnetic reconnection
What is the name of the event that occurs when the Earth passes between the sun and the moon, causing the Earth's shadow to fall on the moon?
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Lunar eclipse
What is the name of the phenomenon where a massive object in space warps the fabric of spacetime around it?
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Gravitational lensing
What is the name of the hypothetical cosmic event that could occur if the Higgs field were to collapse?
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Vacuum Decay
What is the term for a cosmic event in which a star's outer layers are expelled due to thermonuclear reactions in a thin shell surrounding the core?
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Helium Shell Flash
What is the name of the event that occurs when a cloud of gas and dust collapses under its own gravity and forms a new star?
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Star Formation
Which cosmic event is characterized by the sudden brightening of a star due to the accretion of material from a nearby companion?
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Symbiotic Nova
Which cosmic event occurs when a planet passes in front of its host star, causing a temporary decrease in the star's brightness?
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Transit
What is the term for the process by which two galaxies merge to form a single galaxy?
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Galaxy Collision
What is the term for a cosmic event in which a star's outer layers are expelled into space, creating a glowing shell of ionized gas?
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Planetary Nebula
Which cosmic event occurs when a star's outer layers are stripped away by a close encounter with another star?
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Stellar Tidal Disruption
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's magnetic field lines become twisted and distorted, causing a shock wave to travel through the star's atmosphere?
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Coronal shock wave
What is the name of the event that occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, blocking the Sun's light and casting a shadow on Earth?
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Solar Eclipse
What is the term for the point in space where gravitational forces cause matter to have an infinite density?
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Singularity
What is the name of the event that occurs when a planet or moon passes in front of a star, causing a slight decrease in the star's brightness?
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Transit
What is the name of the event that occurs when a star's core collapses and becomes a very dense object made mostly of neutrons?
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Neutron star formation
Which cosmic event is characterized by a burst of gamma rays lasting from milliseconds to several minutes?
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Gamma Ray Burst
Which cosmic event is characterized by the ejection of a large amount of plasma from the Sun's corona?