My friend Steve is a brilliant quizzer.
He’s also a question master who loves making up quizzes.
At a recent quiz night for friends, I found myself in the ‘Mastermind chair’.
Mastermind chair: BBC
Steve had 20 astronomy-themed questions for me to answer.
But his quiz was not the usual astronomy question-and-answer.
Instead, the questions are a kind of general knowledge.
They cover literature, sport and popular culture.
However, all the answers are space-related in some way.
An example:
Name the chocolate bar that was advertised using a CGI image of Audrey Hepburn singing ‘Moon River’
Answer: Galaxy
So, give our Christmas quiz a try.
All you need is a piece of paper and a pen to write down your answers.
Answers are at the end of the blog. Try not to peep!
I scored 17 out of 20 off-the-bat, or rather in the chair.
Can you beat me?
No Googling please!
Here come the first ten questions.
Remember, the answer has a space connection.
Good luck!
First 10
1. Name the mythical city of gold somewhere in South America that was sought by the Spanish conquistadors.
2. Still in South America, name the native Emu-sized flightless bird.
3. What was the name of the horse in the TV series Steptoe and Son. Also the middle name adopted by Elton John.
4. Halifax is the capital of which Canadian Province?
5. In his only tournament win, who won the 1979 Coral UK Snooker Championship?
6. Who was the personification of fear and panic in Greek mythology.
7. Name the queen of the fairies in ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream‘ by Shakespeare.
8. What was the stage name adopted by Queen singer Farrokh Bulsara?
9. Name the most successful team in America’s Major League Soccer with six title wins.
10. Ajax and Hector were two of a group in Greek mythology. Name the group.
How’s it going? Have you written down ten answers?
Here are the next.
Final ten
11. A sensation back in the 1950s – who were collectively Rudy Pompilli, Billy Williamson,
Al Rex, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones and Franny Jones?
12. Name Mozart’s symphony number 41.
13. What is the set of legal rights that US police must abide by when interrogating suspects…..
…..and also a British sitcom which aired in 2009.
14. Name the girlfriend of Adrian Mole in the books by Sue Townsend.
15. Give the surname of the Anglo-Indian actress who lived from 1911 to 1979. Merle ….who?
16. Name the TV series that followed the adventures of Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, Holly and Kryten.
17. In which 2025 football league final did Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester United in Bilbao?
18. Name the British vocal group from the 1950s founded by Cliff Adams……
…….their number one hit was ‘I See the Moon’ (the Moon sees me)
19. What was the name of Carl Sagan’s TV series from 1980 , meaning ‘the universe’.
20. Name the female protagonist in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice‘. She was fond of quoting proverbs.
Answers coming up
Have you written down twenty astronomy / space-related answers?
There are some picture clues coming up.
Then scroll down to the answers.
Some picture clues
If you haven’t answered all 20 questions, here are some picture clues.
Q 15. Q 11 Q 2
Q 16 Q 7 Q8
Time for the answers
Put a tick by every answer you got correct. Good luck!
- Name the mythical city of gold somewhere in South America that was sought by the Spanish conquistadors.
Ans: El Dorado ( Dorado is a southern constellation)
2. Still in South America, name the native Emu-sized flightless bird.
Ans: Rhea ( a moon of Saturn)
3. Name the horse in the TV series Steptoe and Son. Also the middle name adopted by Elton John.
Ans: Hercules (constellation)
4. Halifax is the capital of which Canadian Province?
Ans: Nova Scotia ( Nova, a brightening star)
5. In his only tournament win, who won the Coral UK Snooker Championship?
Ans: John Virgo ( Virgo, zodiac constellation)
6. The personification of fear and panic in Greek mythology
Ans: Phobos ( moon of Mars, ‘phobia’)
7. The queen of the fairies in ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream‘ by Shakespeare.
Ans: Titania ( a moon of Uranus)
8. What was the stage name adopted by Queen singer Farrokh Bulsara?
Ans: Freddie Mercury
9. Name the most successful team in America’s Major League SAoccer with six title wins.
Ans: L A Galaxy
10. Ajax and Hector were two of a group in Greek mythology. Name the group.
Ans: Trojans ( asteroids in the orbit of Jupiter)
11. A sensation back in the 1950s – who were collectively Rudy Pompilli, Billy Williamson,
Al Rex, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones and Franny Jones?
Ans: The Comets (with Bill Haley)
12. Name Mozart’s symphony number 41.
Ans: Jupiter
13. The set of legal rights that US police must abide by when interrogating suspects…..
…..also a British sitcom which aired in 2009.
Miranda ( a moon of Uranus)
14. Name the girlfriend of Adrian Mole in the books by Sue Townsend.
Ans: Pandora ( a moon of Saturn)
15. Give the surname of the Anglo-Indian actress, 1911 to 1979. Merle ….who?
Ans: Oberon ( a moon of Uranus)
16. Name the TV series that followed the adventures of Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, Holly and Kryten.
Ans: Red Dwarf ( a very small star)
17. In which football league final did Tottenham Hotspur beat Manchester United in Bilbao this year?
Ans: Europa League ( a moon of Jupiter)
18. Name the British vocal group from the 1950s founded by Cliff Adams……
…….their number one hit was ‘I See the Moon’ (the Moon sees me)
Ans: The Stargazers
19. What was the name of Carl Sagan’s TV series from 1980 , meaning ‘the universe’.
Ans: Cosmos
20. Name the female protagonist in Shakespeare’s ‘Merchant of Venice‘. She was fond of quoting proverbs.
Ans: Portia ( another moon of Uranus)
How did you do?
Count up your ticks for a score out of 20.
How many did you get right?
Did you beat my score of 17?
Whatever your score, I hope that you enjoyed our Christmas Quiz.
Early in 2026, we’ll feature NASA’s Artemis mission to the Moon.
In the meantime, I wish you clear skies, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The author: Dennis Ashton, MBE, is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Wonderdome presenter.
In 2024, Dennis received the Special Contribution award from the British Association of Planetaria.
In 2025 he became a Member of the Order of the British Empire for over 50 years work in Astronomy Education.
WonderDome: Leading the Way in Mobile Planetariums
WonderDome offers a fully immersive experience, taking you on a journey through the cosmos. Perfect for all ages and abilities. We now boast a team of 15 presenters, located all over the UK, establishing us as the largest – and best – mobile planetarium organisation in the UK.
Stay Connected for Astronomy News and Events Follow WonderDome mobile planetarium on Twitter / X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to stay up to date on the latest news, shows and offers. Or visit our website at wonderdome.co.uk. WonderDome is part of the Service4Education Group
