Current Affairs Online Test - JWST & K2-18b Quiz

JWST & K2-18b Quiz

Test your knowledge about the potential discovery of life on exoplanet K2-18b!

1. What molecule detected by JWST is considered a potential biosignature on K2-18b?

A) Oxygen
B) Carbon monoxide
C) Dimethyl sulfide (DMS)
D) Ozone
E) None of the above

2. How far away is K2-18b from Earth?

A) 12 light-years
B) 50 light-years
C) 120 light-years
D) 500 light-years
E) None of the above

3. What type of planet is K2-18b classified as?

A) Super-Earth
B) Gas giant
C) Hycean world
D) Ice giant
E) None of the above

4. Which telescope made the observations of K2-18b's atmosphere?

A) Hubble Space Telescope
B) James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
C) Chandra X-ray Observatory
D) Kepler Space Telescope
E) None of the above

5. On Earth, what primarily produces dimethyl sulfide (DMS)?

A) Volcanoes
B) Industrial pollution
C) Marine phytoplankton
D) Forest fires
E) None of the above

6. What other key gas did JWST detect in K2-18b's atmosphere?

A) Nitrogen
B) Methane
C) Sulfur dioxide
D) Neon
E) None of the above

7. Why are scientists cautious about declaring this as proof of life?

A) DMS could have non-biological sources
B) The signal is too weak
C) JWST data may have errors
D) The planet is too far away
E) None of the above

8. In which constellation is K2-18b located?

A) Orion
B) Ursa Major
C) Leo
D) Andromeda
E) None of the above

9. How long until scientists expect to confirm these findings?

A) 6 months
B) 1-2 years
C) 5 years
D) 10 years
E) None of the above

10. What makes Hycean planets potentially habitable?

A) Thick hydrogen atmospheres & liquid water oceans
B) Extreme volcanic activity
C) High levels of radiation
D) Frozen surfaces
E) None of the above

11. Which space agency operates JWST?

A) ESA (European Space Agency)
B) NASA
C) Roscosmos
D) ISRO
E) None of the above

12. What is the radius of K2-18b compared to Earth?

A) Same size
B) 1.5 times larger
C) 2.6 times larger
D) 10 times larger
E) None of the above

13. What is the main reason K2-18b is in the habitable zone?

A) It has a stable climate
B) Its star provides the right temperature for liquid water
C) It has a magnetic field
D) It has active plate tectonics
E) None of the above

14. What was the first major telescope to study K2-18b?

A) Hubble
B) Kepler
C) Spitzer
D) TESS
E) None of the above

15. If confirmed, what would this discovery represent?

A) First proof of intelligent aliens
B) First detection of a potential biosignature beyond Earth
C) Evidence of a future Earth-like planet
D) Proof that all exoplanets have life
E) None of the above

Quiz Completed!