Voyager Exploration of the Giant Planets

The video discusses the Voyager mission, which took advantage of a unique planetary alignment to explore the outer planets. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and 2 used gravitational slingshots to travel to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The mission revealed complex atmospheric activity on Jupiter and unexpected volcanic activity on its moon Io. At Saturn, Voyager discovered intricate ring structures. Voyager 2 continued to Uranus, the only planet rotating on an east-west axis, and Neptune, where it found a partial ring system. Today, the Voyagers are the farthest human-made objects, still in contact with Earth.

What was the unique opportunity identified in the late 1960s regarding the outer planets?

• A solar eclipse visible from all outer planets

• A rare meteor shower

• An alignment allowing a single mission to visit multiple planets

• A chance to study the Sun's atmosphere

What powered the Voyager spacecraft during their mission?

• Hydrogen fuel cells

• Nuclear generators

• Wind turbines

• Solar panels

What unexpected discovery did Voyager One make on Jupiter's moon Io?

• A new moon

• A massive ocean

• A giant crater

• Extreme volcanic activity

Which planet did Voyager 2 find to have a unique rotation axis?

• Jupiter

• Neptune

• Saturn

• Uranus

What did Voyager 2 discover about Neptune?

• It has a partial ring system

• It has a solid surface

• It is the hottest planet

• It has no moons