Moon Facts Quiz | 20 Tricky Questions to Tackle 🌕
How well do you know the Moon? 🌘
GM quizzers! 👋 Did you know that time on the Moon is actually slightly different from time on Earth? Due to the Moon’s weaker gravity, time passes around 58.7 microseconds faster ⏱️ than it does here on our planet. This small difference can cause big issues for space missions 🚀 when it comes to navigation and communication.
To solve this, NASA and the U.S. government 🇺🇸 are working on creating a standardised "moon time" system 🕒, called Coordinated Lunar Time (LTC). This new system will help future missions stay in sync with each other and with Earth time 🌍.
While we won’t be setting our watches ⌚ to "moon time" just yet, LTC will play a key role in supporting NASA’s Artemis programme 🛰️, which aims to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon.
Ready to test your knowledge of our lunar neighbour? 🌖 Let’s see how much you know about the Moon with this quiz! ✨🧠
Tap to reveal the answer and see if you got it right!
Q1: What is the second full Moon in a single calendar month called? Blue Moon.
Q2: Which Apollo mission was the first to land on the Moon? Apollo 11.
Q3: What is the name of the first human to walk on the Moon? Astronaut Neil Armstrong. One giant leap for mankind... and Neil Armstrong’s famous “small step” 🥾
Q4: Who was the president of the United States when man first walked on the Moon (20th July 1969)? Richard Nixon, he famously made a phone call to the astronauts from the White House shortly after they had stepped onto the lunar surface.
Q5: What is the Latin name for the Moon? Luna.
Q6: What is the term for the dark, flat areas on the Moon's surface that were formed by ancient volcanic activity? Maria, lava-flooded "seas" from billions of years ago.
Q7: What colour is the Moon most often described as during a lunar eclipse? Reddish-orange or blood red, caused by Earth's atmosphere scattering sunlight and bending the red wavelengths onto the Moon.
Q8: What was the name of the first spacecraft to land on the Moon in 1959? The first human-made object to land on the Moon was Luna 2.
Q9: What force keeps the Moon in orbit around Earth? Gravity.
Q10: What type of rock is most commonly found on the Moon? Basalt.
Q11: Which astronaut is famous for saying, "Houston, we have a problem" during the Apollo 13 mission, when an oxygen tank exploded? Jim Lovell.
Q12: What is the term for the Moon's shadow during a solar eclipse, where it creates a total eclipse on Earth? (Hint: There's also a lighter outer shadow called the penumbra.) Umbra.
Q13: In which year did the last manned Moon landing occur, during NASA's Apollo 17 mission, when astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt explored the lunar surface? 1972.
Q14: What is the name of NASA's current program to return humans to the Moon? Artemis.
Q15: What term is used to describe the Moon’s orbit around Earth? Lunar orbit (or elliptical orbit), which is responsible for the changing phases of the Moon and also causes the tides on Earth.
Q16: What causes the rise and fall of tides on Earth? The gravitational pull of the Moon (and to a lesser extent, the Sun) on Earth's oceans.
Q17: What is the “far side” of the Moon? The side of the Moon that always faces away from Earth, due to the Moon’s synchronous rotation.
Q18: Which country was the first to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon, achieving this historic robotic mission in 2019? China – with the unmanned Chang’e-4 mission.
Q19: How many times did humans land on the Moon between 1969 and 1972? Six times – Apollo missions 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Apollo 13 was intended to land but had to abort due to an onboard emergency.
Q20: What is the name of the lunar site where Apollo 11 landed in 1969? The Sea of Tranquility – a long-dried lava plain on the Moon’s surface, also known as Mare Tranquillitatis.
Check your score
Now that you've revealed all 20 answers — how did you do?
17–20 correct – Lunar Legend 🌕
Stellar work! You’re truly out of this world when it comes to all things lunar. Whether it's moon phases, craters, or Apollo missions, you're a true expert on the Moon's mysteries!
10–16 correct – Moon Explorer 🚀
Well done! You’ve clearly spent some time studying the Moon's surface, even if there’s still a few craters to navigate. Keep exploring, and you’ll be landing on the Moon with ease!
0–9 correct – Earthbound Beginner 🌍
Don’t worry! Every quiz is a learning adventure, and now you know more about the Moon than you did before. Keep playing, and soon you’ll be reaching for the stars!
That’s it for now. Thanks for playing! I Eat Quizzes – Keep reaching for the stars! ✨🌕
Ready for more?
Join the conversation 💬
How did you get on? Got thoughts, scores, or reckon you’ve spotted something? Drop your comments below! ✍️
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