Wonders Unit 5 Week 4 Light Detectives

What procedure did astronomer Michael Brown and his colleagues follow to make their search easier and more effective?

• They used a blink comparator to compare images.

• They followed a procedure similar to the one designed by Tombaugh, using a digital camera on the Samuel Oschin Telescope.

• They manually observed the sky without the use of telescopes.

• They used the Hubble Space Telescope for all observations.

What is the purpose of the automated system drones mentioned in the text?

• To control the telescope and camera manually.

• To move the telescope and take pictures through the night while astronomers sleep.

• To fly around the observatory for security purposes.

• To replace the need for computers at the California Institute of Technology.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

What did the team discover in 2003 that was moving more slowly than anything documented in our solar system?

• A new comet.

• A bright shape that could be the object tugging on Uranus and Neptune.

• A malfunction in the telescope's camera.

• A previously unknown planet.

Tags

CCSS.RI.6.2

CCSS.RI.7.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

What did astronomers originally estimate the size of Eris to be compared to Pluto?

• About the same size as Pluto.

• Smaller than Pluto.

• Larger than Pluto, estimated to be 25 to 40 percent more massive than Pluto.

• Twice the size of Pluto.

What led astronomers to reconsider the classification of Eris and Pluto?

• The discovery of the Kuiper Belt.

• The realization that Eris is only slightly larger than Pluto.

• The discovery of a new galaxy.

• The invention of a new type of telescope.

What is the ultimate prediction made by astronomers about the Kuiper Belt?

• It will be ignored in future research.

• It will lead to the discovery of objects in other parts of the galaxy.

• It will become the main focus of space exploration.

• It will diminish in importance over time.