Mars quiz

More questions about Mars

These visible examples show the question style. LearnClash turns the full topic into ranked duels and spaced repetition.

1. 1 Easy

   Which H. G. Wells novel depicts an invasion of Earth from Mars?

   Answer: The War of the Worlds

   Why: Orson Welles's 1938 radio version used fake news bulletins, but the nationwide panic it supposedly caused was a myth spread by newspapers.

2. 2 Medium

   Why are the moons of Mars often thought to be captured asteroids?

   Answer: Their irregular shapes

   Why: Their near-circular orbits over the equator argue the other way, and a Japanese sample-return mission is being sent to settle it.

3. 3 Hard

   What geological event most likely formed the Valles Marineris canyon system?

   Answer: Tectonic crust pulling

   Why: Faults dropped long blocks of crust about 3.5 billion years ago, and the longest wall landslide has sent debris running over 100 kilometres.

4. 4 Easy

   Why would future Mars explorers likely live in underground lava tubes?

   Answer: Protection from radiation

   Why: A Hellas Planitia study estimates a lava tube would cut a crew's dose from about 342 to 62 microsieverts a day.

5. 5 Medium

   Which NASA spacecraft confirmed water ice just below Martian soil in 2008?

   Answer: Phoenix

   Why: Phoenix scraped away surface dirt near Mars's north pole and watched bright ice patches vaporize.

6. 6 Hard

   What mineral structures in meteorite ALH84001 suggested Martian life?

   Answer: Magnetite chains

   Why: In 2001 imaging showed bacteria-like magnetite chains, but 2004 magnetic tests found most or all crystals are not in chains.