Investigating Asteroids with Lucy's Scientific Instruments

The video discusses the Lucy spacecraft's mission to study Trojan asteroids, which are two groups of asteroids that orbit the sun alongside Jupiter. Lucy is equipped with several scientific instruments, including Corey, Latest, and La Ralph, each designed to collect different types of data. Corey is a high-resolution camera for imaging, Latest measures thermal emissions, and La Ralph analyzes surface compositions. Additional experiments will help determine asteroid masses and shapes. The mission aims to provide insights into the formation of our solar system.

What is the primary function of the Corey instrument on the Lucy spacecraft?

• To analyze the light spectrum for organics

• To communicate with Earth

• To measure thermal emissions from asteroids

• To capture high-resolution images of the Trojan asteroids

How does the Latest instrument help scientists understand the surface properties of asteroids?

• By detecting radio waves

• By measuring thermal inertia

• By capturing high-resolution images

• By analyzing light spectrum

What does the La Ralph instrument primarily search for on the Trojan asteroids?

• Organics and minerals

• Radio signals

• High-resolution images

• Thermal emissions

What is the unique design feature of the La Ralph instrument that helps it stay in focus?

• It uses multiple materials for flexibility

• It has a focusing mechanism

• It is made from a single block of aluminum

• It uses optical filters

What additional experiment does Lucy's high gain antenna support?

• Measuring thermal emissions

• Capturing high-resolution images

• Analyzing light spectrum

• Conducting a radio science experiment