Winston Churchill: leader, victor, and, according to a third of schoolchildren, astronaut. The most celebrated British Prime Minister of the 20th century was the first man to walk on the Moon, one in three young people told a survey.

The black hole in their knowledge was revealed after an online poll asked 1,400 children, aged from 6 to 14, some basic astronomical questions.

Not only did a significant number confuse Neil Armstrong with the statesman who led the Allies to victory, it also revealed that 72 per cent were unable to identify the Moon in a series of pictures.

Saturn also proved a problem, with only 44 per cent noting the giveaway rings. Two in five thought Mars was simply a bar of chocolate. A third of children believed the Earth was not an official planet (35 per cent) and 33 per cent thought the surface of Mars was blue.

Almost two thirds (60 per cent) were unable to say how many planets were in the solar system, while 59 per cent could not name the planets in order.

The poll was commissioned by the children’s TV channel Jetix, which broadcasts a cartoon series charting the adventures of Power Rangers action heroes. It has teamed up with the British Astronomical Society to create a guide to the stars using the popular TV characters to help to teach children more about the night sky.

The 400th anniversary of telescope astronomy has prompted a surge of interest in stargazing, particularly after the unveiling last year of world-class facilities at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, including the Peter Harrison Planetarium, which have proved popular with school groups.

Nearly three quarters of the children questioned wanted to learn more about astronomy.

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