WorksheetsUnmanned Missions, Exoplanets, Solar System Formation
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 34mins
What did the first space probes use for power after launch?
batteries
solar power
nuclear power
steam power
Why is it so much more difficult to orbit a planet than simply just doing a fly-by?
The math is just harder
You have to fly much faster to get into orbit around a distant planet
You actually have to slow down to get into orbit once you reach the planet
You have to compensate for the magnetic fields of the planet if you plan to orbit
What event made the Voyager 1 & 2 missions possible?
The end of the Cold War
A planetary alignment
the development of liquid fueled rockets
The invention of solar panels to power the spacecraft
Why did the Pioneer 10 & 11 and Voyager probes use Radioisotope Thermal Generators (RTGs) for power?
There isn’t enough sunlight past Mars to use solar panels
RTGs don’t have to unfold from the spacecraft to work
RTGs are lighter, so the spacecraft can fly faster
The nuclear power keeps them safe from attack by aliens
The Cassini was considered one of the most successful missions of all time, what did it do?
mapped and analyzed Jupiter’s storms and moons.
mapped and analyzed Saturn’s rings and moons.
mapped and analyzed Neptune’s rings and moons.
mapped and analyzed Uranus and its moons.
What was the main mission for the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars?
to find water
to map out the surface
to find life
to find an ideal place to colonize
Which mission was the first mission specifically dedicated to finding exoplanets
CoRot
Hubble
Spitzer
Kepler
This spacecraft is the only one designed to be maintained in space.
CoRot
Hubble
Spitzer
Kepler
Which of these missions is still actively looking for exoplanets?
CoRot
Hubble
Spitzer
Kepler
All of these are ways to find an exoplanet EXCEPT:
Gravitational Velocity
Radial Velocity
Direct Imaging
Transit
The most exoplanets have been found by this method:
Radial Velocity
Direct Imaging
Transit
Astrometry
What was the name of the first exoplanet discovered in a habitable zone (according to the NOVA documentary we watched)?
Kepler-22b
Galileo-4
Kepler-87a
Galileo-14a
How many exoplanets have been found so far?
More than 4300
more than 10000
less than 300
about 2500
Our solar system formed in a very short amount of time.
False
True
I don't know, I didn't watch the video notes.
What is the most accepted theory about the formation of our solar system?
Condensation Theory
Vaporization Theory
Coalescence Theory
Solar Theory
Exoplanets are
rare
common
Are there other planets out there in the universe besides the ones in our solar system?
It depends on which country you are in.
Yes
No
Maybe
What is the problem with seeing planets orbiting other stars?
They are faint
They are sitting right on top of their parent star
They are really far away
All of these answers are correct
What are planets outside our solar system officially called?
Ecoplanets
Exoplanets
Alien Worlds
Exoworlds
What are large, short-period exoplanets called?
Big Hotties
Hot Jupiters
Hot Saturns
Hot Exoplanets
What is it called when a planet crosses directly in front of it's star?
a Hot Jupiter
an eclipse
a direct line
a transit
Have any exoplanets been seen directly and photographed?
Yes
No
A nebula collapses down into a disk known called:
A compact disk
An irregular cloud
An protostellar disk
An circular disk
What forms in the very center of the accretion disk?
A protostar
A planet
A protoplanet
A planetesimal
The main force at play during making of our solar system
strong force
weak force
gravity
electrostatic force
What is the condensation theory?
Prediction about how the universe was formed
Prediction of how the moon was formed
Prediction of how comets were formed
Prediction of how the Solar System was formed
What is the fuel for the sun's energy?
The fusion of hydrogen atoms into helium
The gravitational pull on the planets
Solar wind
The nebulae
Where in our solar system would you expect to find a planet that is mostly made of gas?
very close to the sun
outside of the sun's gravitational pull
very far from the sun
very close to other planets
What process created the plantesimals (the young version of our planets)?
Accretion of particles left over from the sun forming
Gravitational pull between the sun and the planets
The solar wind that blew dust to the outer edge of the solar system
Nuclear fusion
Where would you expect to find a planet that is small, dense, and rocky?
close to the sun
outside of the sun's gravitational pull
far away from the sun
close to the gas planets
Which letter in this diagram shows our modern solar system with planets orbiting around the sun?
a
b
c
d
e
What is the relationship between orbit speed and distance from the sun?
as distance increases, speed decreases
as distance increases, speed increases
as distance increases, speed stays the same
as distance decreases, speed decreases
