Outer space is a fascinating topic that captures our imagination. It’s filled with planets, stars, asteroids, comets, and more celestial wonders. Riddles about outer space allow us to puzzle over the mysteries of the universe in a fun way. Below are 61 outer space riddles with answers to entertain and challenge you.
Easy outer space riddles
Let’s start with some easy riddles to warm up:
Riddle 1
What is blue during the day and black at night?
Answer: The sky.
Riddle 2
I’m very tall and made of gas. I can be thousands of miles wide. What am I?
Answer: A nebula.
Riddle 3
I’m a bright streak of light in the night sky. What am I?
Answer: A shooting star.
Riddle 4
I orbit planets and am made of chunks of rock and ice. What am I?
Answer: An asteroid belt.
Riddle 5
I’m the closest star to Earth and at the center of our solar system. What am I?
Answer: The Sun.
Intermediate outer space riddles
Let’s move on to some trickier riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m the fourth planet from the Sun and the second smallest planet in our solar system. What am I?
Answer: Mars.
Riddle 2
I have over 150 moons, a faint ring system, and am made mostly of gas. What planet am I?
Answer: Saturn.
Riddle 3
I’m the largest planet in our solar system and am a gas giant. What planet am I?
Answer: Jupiter.
Riddle 4
I’m the second planet from the Sun and the hottest planet in our solar system. Two-thirds of my surface is covered in dry lava. What planet am I?
Answer: Venus.
Riddle 5
I’m a cluster of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity. What am I?
Answer: A galaxy.
Challenging outer space riddles
Think you’re a space ace? Try to solve these tricky riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m the cloud of gas and dust that forms stars and planets. What am I?
Answer: A nebula.
Riddle 2
I have thousands of stars and am one of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way. What am I?
Answer: The Andromeda Galaxy.
Riddle 3
I’m the largest moon in our solar system and have an atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen. What moon am I?
Answer: Titan.
Riddle 4
I’m a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt beyond Neptune’s orbit. What am I?
Answer: Pluto.
Riddle 5
I’m the distance light can travel in one year and is used to measure really vast distances in space. What am I?
Answer: A light year.
Fun outer space riddles
Enjoy these fun and humorous riddles:
Riddle 1
What flies around the Moon without wings?
Answer: Time! (There is no atmosphere on the Moon)
Riddle 2
Why can’t Elsa have a balloon on the moon?
Answer: Because there’s no air on the moon!
Riddle 3
What do you call an overweight astronaut?
Answer: A space cadet.
Riddle 4
Why did the Sun go to school?
Answer: To get brighter!
Riddle 5
Which planet is made entirely of gas and has a Great Red Spot?
Answer: The planet Jupiter.
Outer space riddles for kids
Here are some outer space riddles appropriate for kids:
Riddle 1
I’m very hot and bright during the day but the Moon takes over at night. What am I?
Answer: The Sun.
Riddle 2
I’m a giant ball of burning gas in space. What am I?
Answer: A star.
Riddle 3
I’m a frozen space rock that orbits the Sun. What am I?
Answer: A comet.
Riddle 4
I’m a rocky object in space that is too small to be a planet. What am I?
Answer: An asteroid.
Riddle 5
I look like a star but I’m actually much closer to Earth. What am I?
Answer: A planet.
Hard outer space riddles
Challenge your intellect with these hard riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m located at the center of our solar system and hold Earth and the other planets in orbit around me. What am I?
Answer: The Sun.
Riddle 2
I’m an envelope of gases surrounding a planet and retained by gravity. What am I?
Answer: An atmosphere.
Riddle 3
I’m the path an object in space takes around another object due to gravity. What am I?
Answer: An orbit.
Riddle 4
I’m a large cloud of dust and gas where stars are born. What am I?
Answer: A stellar nursery.
Riddle 5
I’m the point in space where an object’s gravitational pull is the strongest. What am I?
Answer: The center of mass.
Tricky outer space riddles
Give your brain a stellar workout with these tricky riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m not a planet but I orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. What am I?
Answer: The asteroid belt.
Riddle 2
I’m invisible waves of energy often released by black holes. What am I?
Answer: Gravitational waves.
Riddle 3
I’m the point in a black hole with gravity so intense even light cannot escape. What am I?
Answer: The event horizon.
Riddle 4
I’m the band of stars and dust that spans the night sky as viewed from Earth. What am I?
Answer: The Milky Way galaxy.
Riddle 5
I’m a massive burst of energy caused when a star dies. What am I?
Answer: A supernova.
Astronomy riddles
How’s your astronomy knowledge? Solve these riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m a large basin on the Moon with dark lava floors. What am I?
Answer: A lunar mare.
Riddle 2
I’m the study of moons, stars, and other objects in space. What am I?
Answer: Astronomy.
Riddle 3
I’m a giant storm on Jupiter with winds over 400 mph. What am I?
Answer: The Great Red Spot.
Riddle 4
I refer to the Moon’s position in relation to the Earth and the Sun. What am I?
Answer: Moon phases.
Riddle 5
I’m the point during the Moon’s orbit when its day side is fully illuminated. What am I?
Answer: A full moon.
Astronaut riddles
Blast off with these astronaut riddles:
Riddle 1
What do astronauts do before they eat?
Answer: They planet! (Plan it)
Riddle 2
Why did the astronaut break up with the flight attendant?
Answer: They needed some space!
Riddle 3
How do astronauts take out the trash?
Answer: They launch it into outer space!
Riddle 4
How did the astronaut cut his hair?
Answer: Eclipse it! (Eclipsed it)
Riddle 5
Why don’t astronauts take showers?
Answer: They wash with comets!
Spacecraft riddles
Hop aboard these spacecraft riddles:
Riddle 1
What NASA spacecraft visited Pluto in 2015?
Answer: New Horizons.
Riddle 2
What twin spacecraft landed on Mars in 2004?
Answer: Spirit and Opportunity.
Riddle 3
What NASA space shuttles were retired in 2011?
Answer: Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.
Riddle 4
What spacecraft took the first humans to the moon?
Answer: Apollo 11.
Riddle 5
What robotic NASA spacecraft took detailed images of Pluto?
Answer: New Horizons.
Black hole riddles
Ponder these perplexing black hole riddles:
Riddle 1
I’m a region in space with a gravitational field so powerful that nothing can escape, not even light. What am I?
Answer: A black hole.
Riddle 2
I’m the boundary around a black hole where the escape velocity equals the speed of light. What am I?
Answer: The event horizon.
Riddle 3
I’m the point at the center of a black hole with infinite density. What am I?
Answer: A singularity.
Riddle 4
I’m the disk of gas and dust orbiting around a black hole before falling in. What am I?
Answer: An accretion disk.
Riddle 5
I’m produced when particles escape a black hole. What am I?
Answer: Hawking radiation.
Conclusion
Riddles engage our curiosity and imagination about the mysterious universe around us. Outer space provides endless inspiration for riddles. I hope you enjoyed this collection of 61 outer space riddles ranging from easy to hard. Let these riddles spark thoughtful discussion and contribute to lively conversations!
