TESS Completes its Primary Mission

TESS, NASA's latest planet-hunting satellite, has mapped 75% of the sky, offering new opportunities to discover exoplanets and cosmic phenomena. In its second year, TESS found intriguing planetary systems, including a potentially habitable planet around GJ 357 and the smallest planet yet around L 98-59. It also observed a star being disrupted by a black hole, highlighting its ability to detect transient events. TESS' discoveries contribute to astrobiology, with future missions like the James Webb Space Telescope set to expand on its findings. TESS has identified diverse systems, such as TO1 1338's Neptune-sized planet orbiting binary stars and KELT-9's unique star-induced seasons. With its primary mission complete, TESS will continue surveying the southern sky, promising more discoveries.

What is the primary mission of the TESS satellite?

• To explore the surface of Mars

• To map the entire Milky Way galaxy

• To hunt for exoplanets by surveying the sky

• To study the rings of Saturn

Which star system did TESS discover a trio of planets around, including one in the habitable zone?

• Alpha Centauri

• GJ 357

• Proxima Centauri

• Betelgeuse

What significant event did TESS observe involving a black hole?

• A black hole merging with another black hole

• A star being torn apart by a black hole

• A black hole forming from a supernova

• A black hole evaporating

What is the name of the Earth-sized planet discovered by TESS in a habitable zone?

• TOI-700 d

• Kepler-22b

• Proxima b

• Gliese 581g

What unique feature does the KELT-9b planet have in its orbit?

• It has a highly elliptical orbit

• It orbits over the poles of its star

• It is tidally locked with its star

• It orbits two stars simultaneously