335 Planet & Space Riddles With Answers - page 3 of 4
An abundance in arms, but lacking in legs. A tall skinny body, but missing a head. I change with the seasons, it's winter I dread. What am I?
A tree has many branches ("arms") but no legs, and it visibly changes with each season, bare in winter.
What is whiter than the first snow, redder than the blood of the righteous, greener than the spring grass, bluer than a cloudless sky?
Light can appear in all these comparative extremes — pure white, vivid red, green, and blue — depending on how it's reflected or filtered.
What shoes do frogs wear in the summer?
Wordplay — "open toad" sounds like "open-toed," a type of summer shoe.
In spring I am gay in handsome array; in summer more clothing I wear; when colder it grows I fling off my clothes; and in winter quite naked appear. What am I?
A tree grows leaves in spring, thickens with foliage in summer, sheds them in fall, and stands bare in winter.
What is in seasons, seconds, centuries, and minutes but not in decades, years or days?
The letter "n" appears in "seasons," "seconds," "centuries," and "minutes," but not in "decades," "years," or "days."
What do you call a snowman in the summer?
In summer heat a snowman melts completely, leaving only a puddle of water behind.
A forest exists somewhere on Earth. This forest has no life except for trees. After a storm, a tree was hit by lightning and fell. What sound would it make?
This is the classic philosophical riddle asserting that without a listener present, there is no one to perceive the sound, so effectively none exists.
One-fourth of the population of a newly discovered planet has 4 legs. The rest have two legs. There are 60 legs in total. How big is the population of the newly discovered planet?
With 1/4 of the population (6 individuals) having 4 legs and 3/4 (18) having 2 legs, 6x4 + 18x2 = 60 legs, totaling 24 individuals.
I'm teary-eyed but never cry, silver-tongued, but never lie. double-winged, but never fly, air-cooled, but never dry. What am I?
This describes both the liquid metal mercury (shiny, wet, never fully dries) and the winged Roman god Mercury who never actually flies.
It is everywhere yet nowhere and time mars it not. All things are within its grasp and it is within the grasp of all things. It has no limits, for it does and does not exist. What is it?
'Nothing' paradoxically both does and doesn't exist, is present everywhere as an absence, and is unaffected by time.
I'm mean, I'm green, I am an eating machine. What am I?
A Venus flytrap is a green carnivorous plant known for snapping shut to 'eat' insects.
Fire is often maintained above me, and if you remove my first letter, you will find the home shared by everyone you have ever known. What am I?
A hearth is where a fire burns, and removing its first letter 'H' leaves 'earth', the shared home of all humanity.
Test Mars. What is the anagram word?
Rearranging the letters of 'Test Mars' spells the word 'Smartest'.
Inside me, there is a teacup, a planet, a shelf, and you! What Am I?
The universe contains everything that exists, including small objects like a teacup and vast things like a planet, and you yourself.
I am in the beginning of the earth. I am at the end of time. I appear two times in a week. I appear once in a year. What Am I ?
'E' begins 'earth', ends 'time', appears twice in 'week', and once in 'year'.
I welcome the day with a show of light, I steathily came here in the night. I bathe the earthy stuff at dawn, But by the noon, alas! I'm gone. What am I?
Dew forms silently overnight, is visible glistening at dawn, and evaporates once the sun warms the day.
The higher I climb, the hotter I engage, I can not escape my crystal cage. What am I?
As temperature rises, the mercury inside a glass thermometer climbs higher while remaining sealed inside the glass tube.
Why did Mickey Mouse go to space?
Pluto is both Mickey Mouse's cartoon dog and the name of the dwarf planet.
How can we tell that Saturn was married more than once?
Saturn's iconic rings are humorously compared to multiple wedding rings from repeated marriages.
How does NASA throw a party?
'Planet' is a pun on 'plan it', fitting for a space agency.
I'm a god, a planet, and a measurer of heat. Who am I?
Mercury is a Roman god, the closest planet to the sun, and the liquid metal once used in thermometers to measure heat.
A traveler came to the river side, with a donkey bearing an obelisk. But he did not venture to ford the tide, for he had too good an *. What is the missing word?
The rhyme requires a word matching 'obelisk,' and 'a-*-risk' completed with 'ster' spells 'asterisk,' punning on 'ass to risk,' meaning the donkey was too valuable to risk losing in the river.
What's the most romantic part about the ocean?
This puns on 'buoy meets gull' sounding like 'boy meets girl.'
Many-manned scud-thumper, Maker of worn wood, Shrub-ruster, Sky-mocker, Rave! Portly pusher, Wind-slave. What am I?
This is an Old English-style kenning riddle describing the sea: it's crewed by many sailors, wears down wood (ships), and is driven by the wind.
My first is a creature whose breeding is unclear. My second, a price you must pay. My whole can be found in the river of Time and refers to events of today. What am I?
'Cur' is a mongrel dog of unclear breeding, 'rent' is a price you pay, and together 'current' means both a river's flow and present-day events.
Four men were in a boat on the lake. The boat turns over, and all four men sink to the bottom of the lake, yet not a single man got wet! Why?
This is a pun on 'single' meaning unmarried versus not getting 'wet' -- since all were married, none were 'single,' the riddle's real trick.
How do you get into the great lakes?
This puns on 'Florida Keys' sounding like the 'keys' you'd use to unlock a 'lake' (lock/key wordplay).
I dance in the wind and I bow to a storm. I grow best in temperatures that are warm. By the riverbeds I like to grow, where the people in boats like to row. What am I?
River reeds sway in the wind, bend under storms, thrive in warm climates, and grow along riverbanks where boats pass.
How does a river flood?
This puns on someone getting 'too big for their britches,' swapped here to 'bridges' over a river.
Who's fault will it be if California falls into the ocean?
This puns on 'fault' meaning blame and the San Andreas Fault, the famous geological fault line running through California.
What can grasp the world's edges with great precision, yet always perceives the imagery as vague conceptions?
Peripheral vision detects motion and edges at the sides of your view precisely, but the images there appear blurry and indistinct.
A pot-hole filled valley, where rains often fall; A land through which no river shall crawl. What am I?
A sieve is riddled with holes like a pockmarked valley, and water passes through it rather than flowing along it like a river.
Endlessly, I hunger, Lazily, I sleep. Murderous, I thunder, Desires, I do seek. Hoarding countless treasures, so my stature I retain, Envious of others whose feet on Earth remain.
Each line corresponds to a deadly sin in order: gluttony, sloth, wrath, lust, greed, pride, and envy.
I'm an object; good at drawing. I draws without using any drawing instrument, yet I can draw even better and faster than the world's best artist. But what I will draw won't stay permanent and what I draws may see me or not. What am I?
A mirror instantly 'draws' an exact likeness of whatever faces it, though the image vanishes once you look away.
How does a caterpillar cross the river?
This puns on 'moth' sounding like the word 'moth' rhymes with... actually the joke is a caterpillar can only fly across once it metamorphoses into a moth.
Where are the lakes that are referred to in the "Los Angeles Lakers?"
The team began in Minneapolis, the 'Land of 10,000 Lakes,' and kept its 'Lakers' name after relocating to Los Angeles.
What river in Bavaria answers the question, Who is there?
The Bavarian river 'Isar' sounds like 'Is-er,' or phonetically 'I, ser' answering 'who's there?'
Both happiness and sorrow I bring from ancient taps a plenty. I dull the pain of cuts and life, some drowning in my embrace. What am I?
Alcohol has long been served from taps at taverns, brings both celebration and regret, numbs pain, and some people metaphorically 'drown their sorrows' in it.
Like a snake I constrict. Like a flowing river I glitter. However if I am licked. I will be bloody not bitter. What am I?
A necklace wraps ('constricts') the throat, sparkles like water, and metal jewelry tastes metallic, almost like blood, if licked.
Asher and Miles were shipwrecked. Miles was swept away by a strong current and woke up on an island. And Asher found a small wooden boat in the middle of the ocean. Both guys were thirsty and hungry. Who's going to survive for longer?
An island typically offers fresh water sources, while a person adrift at sea can't safely drink the salty ocean water.
Though liquid in nature, don't push me too far; for then I will break, and the damage may scar. What am I?
Glass is popularly described as an extremely slow-flowing liquid, and while solid to the touch, pushing or bending it too far causes it to shatter and leave damage.
When I looked In the lake, I saw my reflection, but yet I disappear from every picture I take. What am I?
Ghosts are traditionally said to have no reflection captured by cameras, even though they can appear in mirrors or water in folklore riddles.
Upon my top there is a golden shop wherein a dollar can't be spent. Along my sides stretch nature's slides which will never relent. At my feet where people meet full of ire, dread and lament. What am I?
A mountain's peak offers priceless views ('golden shop'), its slopes are natural 'slides' like rivers, and its base is where a difficult climb begins.
Two people are standing on the bank of a river looking forward to crossing to the other side. There is one boat with a capacity for one person. The two people managed to cross the river safely. How did they do it?
Because the two people started on opposite banks, the single-capacity boat only needed one trip for each person to reach their destination.
I am named for my fleeting motion. Numbered zero and four score more. A barren desert and a heavy ocean. One is flowing, the other a solid core. Who are we?
The planet Mercury (atomic number 80, named for the swift god) and the liquid metal mercury share a name; one is a barren world, the other a heavy flowing liquid.
I create my lair with earthen string riddle, and dispatch my prey with a biting sting. What am I?
A spider spins silk ('earthen string') into a web-lair and kills prey with a venomous bite.
While Sam was traveling, he saw a lake, a tree, and a city. What did he see?
Read it as the letters spelling 'a lake, a tree, a city' sounding out a hidden word.
You'll rarely find me in the forest, and hardly want to in the desert. I'm deadly in flight, but I never dance on water without an audience. What am I?
A stone thrown to skip across water needs someone watching to skip it, is common near lakes rather than forests or deserts, and could be deadly if thrown hard.
Make me thy lyre, even as the forests are. What if my leaves fell like its own -- The tumult of thy mighty harmonies Will take from both a deep autumnal tone. What am I?
This alludes to Shelley's 'Ode to the West Wind,' where the wind plays the forest like a lyre and scatters autumn leaves.
What has emotions, but isn't living? Can be as Blue as the ocean or Red as blood. sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes angry.
A mood ring changes color supposedly reflecting the wearer's emotions, without being alive itself.
Created by man. There you stand, but don't stand over here. Understand? I'm invisible, yet oddly divisional. I follow rivers and cross continents. What am I?
Borders are human-made invisible lines that divide land, often tracing rivers and cutting across continents.
I can flow like a river, and come from dust, I age hard as iron, but never rust. What am I?
Wet concrete flows like liquid, is made from dust-like aggregate, and cures into a rock-hard material that doesn't rust like metal.
What does a river do when told a joke?
'Gushes' puns on a river gushing water and someone gushing with laughter.
What happened when the crooks fell into the ocean?
'Crime wave' puns on the literal ocean wave the crooks created falling in.
You can see me in a mirror, see me in a picture, and can even spot me in nature. What am I?
Beauty is something that can be perceived in reflections, images, and the natural world alike.
What do you call an ocean of orange soda?
'Fanta-sea' is a pun combining the soda brand Fanta with 'fantasy.'
My first is in ocean but never in sea, my second's in wasp but never in bee. My third is in glider and also in flight, my whole is a creature that comes out at night.
Taking letters found in 'ocean' not 'sea' (O), in 'wasp' not 'bee' (W), and in both 'glider' and 'flight' (L), spells clues pointing to the nocturnal bird, the owl.
I roam the empty oceans pounding up over rocks, I make streams pour down peoples faces but some people like to ride me. What am I?
Ocean waves crash on rocks, can bring people to tears (metaphorically), and surfers love to ride them.
How do crazy people go through the forest?
This is a pun on 'psychopath' sounding like 'psycho path,' a trail through the woods.
Who does the ocean date?
This puns on 'tide' sounding like 'tied,' as in going steady with someone, and the literal ocean tide.
Why did the outlaw go to the river?
This puns on 'bank' as a riverbank and as a place to rob for money.
Two men had to go to the other side of the river, there is one boat, but only one person fits on it. Luckily they both got to the other side of the river. How?
Since the men started on opposite banks, the one-person boat only had to make a single crossing for each of them to reach the far side.
What did the ocean say to the other ocean?
This is a pun on ocean 'waves' as both a greeting gesture and the literal water movement.
I have a mouth, I do not talk, I always run, I never walk. What am I?
A river's 'mouth' is where it meets the sea, and it's always described as 'running' water.
What kind of rocks are found in the Mississippi River?
This is a simple joke: any rock sitting in a river is, obviously, wet.
Big as a biscuit, deep as a cup, even a river can't fill it up. What is it?
A strainer is full of holes, so no matter how much water pours through it, it never actually holds or 'fills up.'
What has five eyes but cannot see?
The word 'Mississippi' contains five letter i's, punning on 'eyes.'
I'm not an airplane, but I can fly through the sky. I'm not a river, but I'm full of water. What am I?
A cloud drifts through the sky like a plane and holds water like a river, without being either.
Where do rivers sleep?
"River bed" is the literal term for the ground a river flows over, punned with a bed for sleeping.
I sail an ocean you'll never swim, and I voyage seas with white-cotton ease yet my hold is filled with water. What am I?
A cloud drifts across the 'ocean' of sky, looks like white cotton, and carries water inside it.
How do shells get around in the ocean?
'Taxi crab' is a pun on 'taxi cab,' since crabs live in the ocean alongside shells.
What did the ocean say to the beach?
'Shore' sounds like 'sure,' making this a pun about the ocean being uncertain.
Forward and forward I go, never looking back. My limit no one knows, more of me do they lack. Like a river I do flow, and an eagle I fly. Now can you guess, what am I?
Time only moves forward, has no known limit, and people always feel they lack enough of it.
What has four eyes and runs south?
'Mississippi' contains four letter i's (read as 'eyes'), and the river flows south.
I am four letters long, I can be seen in the sky, I am the ocean & I am the sea. Can you guess me?
The sky, ocean, and sea all share the color blue, and the word 'blue' has four letters.
I am a path situated between high natural masses. Remove my first letter and you have a path situated between man-made masses. What am I?
'Valley' sits between mountains (natural masses); drop the 'V' and you get 'alley,' a path between buildings (man-made masses).
I run through hills; I veer around mountains. I leap over rivers and crawl through the forests. Step out your door to find me. What am I?
Roads are built to wind through hills, skirt mountains, and bridge rivers, connecting places just outside your door.
I'm the part of the bird that's not in the sky riddle. I can swim in the ocean and yet remain dry. What am I?
A shadow moves wherever the bird goes, even over water, without ever getting wet.
I have lakes but no water, No cars but I have streets; Many places and borders, But I'm in one piece. What am I?
A map shows lakes, streets, and borders as drawings, not the real physical things themselves.
There was a man who wanted to prove his love to his wife. So, he climbed the highest mountain, swam the deepest ocean and walked the biggest desert. What do you think his wife said?
The twist is that grand gestures mean nothing if you neglect the relationship itself; he was never actually home with her.
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is it?
A full moon looks round like a pregnant belly but of course never actually gives birth.
What is yellow, looks like the moon and has seeds?
A banana is yellow and curved like a crescent moon, and it has small seeds inside.
What snack does the Man in the Moon like?
Wordplay — "space chips" plays on potato chips, set in a space theme.
Pregnant every time you see her, yet she never will give birth. What is she?
A full moon looks round and "swollen" like pregnancy, but of course never actually gives birth.
Why isn't the moon a good vacation destintion?
Again a pun on 'atmosphere' as both a pleasant vacation vibe and the moon's literal absence of air.
Why would it be boring to eat at a restaurant on the moon?
It's a pun on 'atmosphere' meaning both a restaurant's ambiance and the moon's lack of a literal atmosphere.
There was a man driving a truck. There was a woman standing in front of the truck. The truck had no lights on and the moon was not up. How did the man see the woman?
The riddle misleads you into assuming night, but with no moon or lights needed, it must simply be daytime.
If you don't move I move, if you move I still move. I can shine but am not a light bulb. I will fall before you wake up. What am I?
The moon appears to travel across the sky no matter what you do, glows without being an artificial light, and sets before morning.
When is the moon heaviest?
It plays on 'full' meaning both the full moon phase and being 'heavy' from being full, like a full stomach.
Can you complete each list? 1. Red, White, and 2. Stop, Look, and 3. Sun, Moon, and 4. Ready, Set, ? 5. Readin', writin', and
Each is the third item of a well-known three-part phrase (flag colors, traffic safety, sky bodies, race starts, the three R's).
When was beef the highest that it has ever been?
It's a pun on 'beef' (cattle/meat) being physically high up, referencing the nursery rhyme 'the cow jumped over the moon'.
I'm far away from you, but I still shine bright. I sleep at day, I wake up by night. I stay by the moon, but never get close to it. What am I?
Stars are only visible at night alongside the moon, appearing near it but always at vast, unchanging distances.
I can be half without getting thinner. I can shine with no fire. I can be hidden but never taken. I can stay dry while moving the ocean. What am I?
The Moon can appear as a 'half moon,' reflects sunlight without burning, can be hidden by clouds, and its gravity moves ocean tides while staying dry in space.
It's been around for millions of years, but it's no more than a month old. What is it?
The moon has existed for billions of years, but its visible phase completes a full cycle roughly every month, so it always looks "new" again.
I am strongest when you see me as round, but I am often viewed in other forms. I lift and drop the sea with my tremendous strength, and a man with a name like 'powerful bicep' was the first to tread on me. What am I?
The 'powerful bicep' man is a play on 'Armstrong' (arm + strong), referencing Neil Armstrong who first walked on the moon.
Why did the moon skip diner?
It puns on 'full' meaning both a full moon phase and being full from eating.
How does the moon cut his hair?
Wordplay — "eclipse" sounds like "e-clips," as in hair clippers.
Why is the moon like a dollar?
It plays on the double meaning of 'quarters': the moon's phases versus a dollar's four coin quarters.
My farther is the moon, my mother is the sea, I die when I reach land. What am I?
The moon's gravity pulls the sea to create waves, which break apart ('die') when they hit the shore.
When is a ship at sea not on the water?
The pun plays on 'on fire' replacing 'on water,' a twist on the phrase describing a ship's location.