Astrobiology — MCQs August 22, 2025 by u930973931_answers 50 Score: 0 Attempted: 0/50 Subscribe 1. Astrobiology is the study of: (A) Earth’s ecosystems (B) Life in the universe (C) Human anatomy (D) Oceanography 2. Which planet is considered most similar to Earth in size and composition? (A) Mars (B) Venus (C) Mercury (D) Jupiter 3. The term “habitable zone” refers to: (A) The region around a star where liquid water can exist (B) The area near a planet’s magnetic field (C) The orbit of asteroids (D) The surface of gas giants 4. Which planet is often called the “Red Planet”? (A) Venus (B) Mars (C) Jupiter (D) Saturn 5. Europa, a moon of Jupiter, is of interest to astrobiologists because it: (A) Has an atmosphere like Earth (B) May have a subsurface ocean (C) Is the largest moon in the Solar System (D) Is covered with volcanoes 6. The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is abbreviated as: (A) SETI (B) SEIT (C) STIE (D) SITI 7. Which gas is considered a potential biosignature in exoplanet atmospheres? (A) Nitrogen (B) Oxygen (C) Argon (D) Carbon dioxide 8. The Miller-Urey experiment demonstrated the: (A) Formation of DNA from proteins (B) Synthesis of organic molecules from simple gases (C) Creation of stars from gas clouds (D) Evolution of plants from algae 9. Exoplanets are planets that: (A) Orbit Earth (B) Orbit stars outside our Solar System (C) Orbit the Moon (D) Orbit asteroids 10. Which telescope has been especially important in finding exoplanets? (A) Hubble (B) Kepler (C) Chandra (D) Arecibo 11. Which extremophiles are studied to understand life in extreme environments? (A) Dinosaurs (B) Archaea (C) Fungi (D) Plants 12. The study of life’s origin on Earth is called: (A) Abiogenesis (B) Evolution (C) Biogenesis (D) Photosynthesis 13. Mars rovers are sent to search mainly for: (A) Diamonds (B) Fossils of dinosaurs (C) Evidence of past or present life (D) Radio signals 14. Which method is commonly used to detect exoplanets? (A) Solar reflection method (B) Transit method (C) Meteor tracking (D) Lunar eclipse method 15. Titan, a moon of Saturn, is interesting because it has: (A) Volcanoes of molten rock (B) Lakes of liquid methane and ethane (C) A large iron core (D) No atmosphere 16. The Drake Equation estimates: (A) The number of black holes in the galaxy (B) The number of intelligent civilizations in the galaxy (C) The age of the universe (D) The number of stars in the Solar System 17. Which planet shows evidence of ancient river valleys and lakes? (A) Mars (B) Mercury (C) Neptune (D) Jupiter 18. Panspermia is the hypothesis that: (A) Life originated independently on Earth (B) Life came from outer space (C) Stars spread organic molecules (D) Comets formed from frozen gases 19. Which of the following is NOT a requirement for life as we know it? (A) Liquid water (B) Carbon-based molecules (C) Energy source (D) Diamond crystals 20. The discovery of extremophiles supports the idea that: (A) Life can only exist on Earth (B) Life may survive in harsh extraterrestrial environments (C) Only oxygen supports life (D) Stars produce life directly 21. Which gas on Mars is considered unusual because it might suggest biological activity? (A) Carbon dioxide (B) Methane (C) Oxygen (D) Nitrogen 22. Which star type has the longest lifespan and may host habitable planets? (A) O-type (B) B-type (C) M-type (red dwarf) (D) A-type 23. Which Mars rover discovered evidence of ancient water? (A) Voyager 1 (B) Curiosity (C) Hubble (D) Kepler 24. Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, ejects plumes containing: (A) Water vapor and organic molecules (B) Liquid methane (C) Sulfur gas (D) Carbon monoxide only 25. Which molecule is considered essential for genetic information storage? (A) Glucose (B) DNA (C) ATP (D) Hemoglobin 26. A biosignature is: (A) A signal from a distant galaxy (B) A chemical or physical marker of life (C) A star explosion (D) A type of exoplanet orbit 27. Which field combines astronomy, biology, and geology? (A) Ecology (B) Astrobiology (C) Pharmacology (D) Sociology 28. The “Goldilocks zone” is another term for: (A) Asteroid belt (B) Habitable zone (C) Ozone layer (D) Greenhouse effect 29. The Viking missions to Mars in the 1970s conducted experiments to detect: (A) Magnetic fields (B) Life (C) Solar radiation (D) Fossils 30. The first confirmed exoplanet around a Sun-like star was discovered in: (A) 1985 (B) 1995 (C) 2005 (D) 2015 31. Which molecule is believed to have been crucial in the origin of life due to its catalytic properties? (A) DNA (B) RNA (C) Lipids (D) Proteins 32. The Fermi Paradox deals with: (A) The expansion of the universe (B) The lack of evidence for extraterrestrial civilizations despite high probability (C) The speed of light limitation (D) The formation of black holes 33. Which planetary body has geysers that eject material into space? (A) Venus (B) Enceladus (C) Mercury (D) Neptune 34. Which NASA mission is designed to study Europa? (A) Voyager 2 (B) Juno (C) Europa Clipper (D) Pioneer 10 35. Which type of star is least suitable for supporting life due to short lifespans? (A) Red dwarfs (B) Sun-like stars (C) Blue giants (D) Yellow dwarfs 36. Organic molecules in meteorites suggest: (A) Space is sterile (B) Building blocks of life may come from space (C) Meteorites destroy life (D) Oxygen cannot form in space 37. Which element is considered the backbone of life’s molecules? (A) Silicon (B) Carbon (C) Sulfur (D) Sodium 38. The study of Earth’s oldest microfossils helps in: (A) Understanding human evolution (B) Understanding conditions for early life (C) Designing spacecraft (D) Predicting asteroid impacts 39. Which exoplanetary system is famous for having 7 Earth-sized planets? (A) Kepler-22 (B) TRAPPIST-1 (C) Gliese 581 (D) Proxima Centauri b 40. Biosignatures detectable in exoplanet atmospheres include: (A) Methane and oxygen (B) Neon and argon (C) Iron and gold (D) Sodium and potassium 41. The “Great Filter” is a concept in: (A) Evolutionary biology (B) Astrobiology and Fermi Paradox (C) Astronomy (D) Genetics 42. The study of extremophiles on Earth is important because: (A) They are unrelated to astrobiology (B) They help predict possible alien life forms (C) They prove aliens exist (D) They are not relevant to evolution 43. Life that does not rely on carbon but another element is called: (A) Hypothetical alternative biochemistry (B) Abiotic life (C) Post-biological life (D) Synthetic life 44. The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to: (A) Detect black holes only (B) Study exoplanet atmospheres for biosignatures (C) Map asteroids (D) Track comets 45. A planet with too much greenhouse effect may resemble: (A) Mars (B) Venus (C) Mercury (D) Europa 46. Which is the nearest potentially habitable exoplanet to Earth? (A) TRAPPIST-1e (B) Kepler-452b (C) Proxima Centauri b (D) Gliese 667Cc 47. Which is considered a key solvent for life? (A) Methane (B) Water (C) Ammonia (D) Sulfuric acid 48. The term “exo-” in exoplanet means: (A) Inside (B) Outside (C) Small (D) Star-like 49. Which planet has the largest volcano in the Solar System, suggesting past geological activity? (A) Earth (B) Venus (C) Mars (D) Mercury 50. The search for microbial life on other planets is mainly focused on: (A) Gas giants (B) Rocky planets and icy moons (C) Asteroid belts (D) Comets only