Planetary Defense Quiz

What was one major disadvantage dinosaurs had when facing asteroid threats?

• Poor eyesight

• Lack of food resources

• No planetary defense office

• Inability to swim

What is the primary goal of NASA's survey projects regarding near-Earth objects?

• To find new planets

• To study the moon

• To track weather patterns

• To catalog potentially hazardous objects

What is a key question researchers are considering about asteroid threats?

• How to paint asteroids

• How to live on asteroids

• How to deflect or destroy dangerous asteroids

• How to mine asteroids for resources

Who is responsible for coordinating planetary defense activities at NASA?

• The International Space Station

• The Planetary Defense Coordination Office

• The President of the United States

• The Mars Rover Team

What was the initial suspicion about the object WT1190F?

• It was a comet

• It was a new planet

• It was an artificial object

• It was a natural meteor

Where was WT1190F predicted to impact Earth?

• The Pacific Ocean

• The coast of Sri Lanka

• The Arctic Circle

• The Sahara Desert

What did the spectra of WT1190F's fragment reveal?

• Presence of gold

• Traces of water

• Bands of titanium oxide and a line of hydrogen

• Signs of life

What was the educated guess about WT1190F's origin?

• Lunar Prospector's trans-lunar injection module

• A piece of the moon

• A new asteroid

• A defunct satellite

What skills were demonstrated by astronomers in tracking WT1190F?

• Building spacecraft

• Pinpointing impact location and time

• Predicting weather patterns

• Communicating with aliens

What is the significance of the skills used in tracking WT1190F?

• They improve internet connectivity

• They are crucial for future asteroid threats

• They help in mining asteroids

• They assist in launching satellites