Exploring the Kuiper Belt and Beyond

What is the primary issue with the traditional teaching of the solar system?

• It focuses too much on the Sun.

• It ignores the existence of stars.

• It doesn't mention the Milky Way.

• It emphasizes only the planets and their order.

What is a Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO)?

• A star outside the solar system.

• A celestial body beyond Neptune but within the Sun's heliosphere.

• A celestial body within the asteroid belt.

• A planet within the inner solar system.

Which of the following is the largest Trans-Neptunian Object discovered?

• Sedna

• Niku

• Pluto

• Ultima Thule

What is unique about Niku's orbit?

• It is highly inclined, tilted almost 110° above the solar orbital plane.

• It is the closest orbit to the Sun.

• It is the fastest orbit in the solar system.

• It is perfectly circular.

What is the estimated mass of the hypothetical Planet 9?

• Similar to Earth's mass.

• 10 times that of Earth.

• Similar to Mars' mass.

• 100 times that of Earth.

What does the theory of collective gravity suggest about the Kuiper Belt?

• It is influenced by a single large planet.

• It is distorted by the collective gravity of smaller objects.

• It is unaffected by gravitational forces.

• It is shrinking over time.

What is the main goal of NASA's New Horizons mission?

• To map the entire Milky Way galaxy.

• To explore the inner planets.

• To study the Sun's core.

• To investigate the Kuiper Belt and its objects.

Which object did New Horizons visit in 2019?

• Pluto

• Sedna

• Ultima Thule

• Niku

What shape is Ultima Thule described as?

• Flat

• Peanut or snowman-shaped

• Cubical

• Spherical

What is the significance of Ultima Thule in space exploration?

• It is the first star discovered outside the solar system.

• It is the largest planet in the solar system.

• It is the closest object to Earth.

• It is the furthest object visited by a spacecraft from Earth.