Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Alamy Stock Photo
Quiz
Quiz: How much do you know about asteroids, meteors and comets?
A quiz that is out of this world
NEWS EMERGED THIS week that an asteroid with the potential to “destroy Ireland” with a series of earthquakes and tsunamis has a slim chance of hitting Earth in December 2032.
The asteroid, which measures between 40 and 90 metres wide, has a 1.9% chance of making impact with our planet, NASA has calculated.
Amid this slightly alarming revelation, we wanted to ask you – how much do you know about asteroids, meteors and comets?
What is a meteor in technical terms?
Alamy Stock Photo
A small piece of the moon
A streak of light created when a small object enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up
A larger type of asteroid that stays in space and orbits the sun
A type of satellite that orbits the Earth
Between which two planets in our solar system is the asteroid belt located?
Alamy Stock Photo
Mars and Jupiter
Mars and Uranus
Jupiter and Saturn
Earth and Mars
Roughly how big was Chicxulub, an asteroid which landed Mexico 66 million years ago and caused a mass-extinction event?
Alamy Stock Photo
Around 10km wide
Around 15km wide
Around 2km wide
Around 35km wide
What unusual item was used to craft some of the asteroids in the film Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back?
Alamy Stock Photo
Hamsters
Dog toys
Jabba the Hutt action figures
Potatoes
What does asteroid mean in Greek?
Alamy Stock Photo
Falling light
Spaceship
Star-shaped
Sky message
What is a comet?
Alamy Stock Photo
A type of asteroid that orbits the Sun
A cloud of gas and dust that reflects light as it travels through space
A planet made entirely of ice
A star that explodes at the end of its life
In September 2023, it was mistakenly (and hilariously) reported that a man-made hole dug at a beach was caused by a meteorite. Where was the hole found?
Virgin Media News
Portmarnock Beach, Co Dublin
Brittas Bay Beach, Co Wicklow
Bettystown Beach, Co Meath
Killiney Beach, Co Dublin
What did the Ancient Romans allegedly believe that a comet in 44BC signified?
Alamy Stock Photo
A natural disaster would hit Rome soon
Julius Ceaser had been deified after his death
Rome would see victory against enemy forces in Germania
The gods were displeased with Roman rule
In 1998, two separate films about asteroids impacting Earth were released - Deep Impact and Armageddon. Which film had the bigger asteroid?
Alamy Stock Photo
Deep Impact
Alamy Stock Photo
Armageddon
In 2020, an asteroid roughly the size of a car broke the record for the closest an asteroid has come to earth without hitting the planet. How close did it come?
Alamy Stock Photo
930 miles
8,760 miles
1,500 miles
1,830 miles
Alamy Stock Photo
You scored out of !
Galileo Galilei
You're an expert at this, and you probably even own a telescope
Alamy Stock Photo
You scored out of !
Stargazer
Good job! Keep your eyes to the skies
Alamy Stock Photo
You scored out of !
Casual stargazer
You may not know too much, but at least you tried
Alamy Stock Photo
You scored out of !
A floating rock
You may well be an asteroid yourself
have your say