Exploring the New Horizons Mission to Pluto

The video explores the Kuiper Belt, focusing on Pluto and the New Horizons mission. It covers the history of Pluto's discovery by Clyde Tombaugh, the challenges of studying distant celestial bodies, and the mission's objectives. The New Horizons spacecraft, launched in 2006, aims to provide detailed images and data about Pluto and its moons. The video also discusses the scientific discoveries made so far and the potential for future exploration of the Kuiper Belt.

What year did the New Horizons mission launch?

• 1989

• 2015

• 2006

• 2001

Who discovered Pluto?

• Mark Showalter

• David Jewett

• Clyde Tombaugh

• Alan Stern

Which of the following is NOT a moon of Pluto discovered before the New Horizons flyby?

• Eris

• Charon

• Nix

• Hydra

What unique feature does the Kuiper Belt object Haumea have?

• It has a ring system.

• It is shaped like an American football.

• It is the largest KBO.

• It has the most moons.

What is the primary goal of the New Horizons mission?

• To orbit Pluto

• To land on Pluto

• To explore the asteroid belt

• To perform a flyby of Pluto and study its surface and moons

What was the general expectation about the New Horizons mission to Pluto?

• To find something completely unexpected

• To establish a human colony on Pluto

• To confirm existing theories about Pluto

• To find water on Pluto

What did scientists use to enhance the original Voyager data of Triton?

• Enhanced chemical analysis

• Hubble Space Telescope

• Advanced computer algorithms

• Artificial intelligence

What was a unique strategy to protect New Horizons from potential hazards?

• Deploying a protective shield

• Changing the spacecraft's speed

• Orienting the high gain antenna forward

• Using a laser to destroy debris

What was the primary reason for using Hubble in the search for KBOs?

• Its location outside Earth's atmosphere

• Its powerful laser

• Its size

• Its speed

What signifies the importance of the New Horizons mission?

• It's the longest space mission ever

• It completes the initial reconnaissance of the solar system

• It marks humanity's exit from the solar system

• It's the first mission to the Sun