Apollo & Cassini Missions
The Apollo Mission was initiated by U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961 with what primary objective?
To land astronauts on the Moon and return them safely to Earth.
The main goal of the Mars Science Laboratory mission was to do this.
Search for signs about whether life ever existed on Mars.
What causes the moon's phase changes?
The moon's orbit around the Earth.
What is the precise alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a Solar Eclipse?
Moon is between the Sun and Earth.
What phase is it when you see a "half moon" on the right side?
First Quarter
During the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong famously stepped onto the lunar surface in this year.
1969
What is the famous name of the mobile science rover that was part of the Mars Science Laboratory mission?
Curiosity
What does "waxing" mean in the phases of the moon?
The illuminated portion of the moon is growing or expanding.
What is the precise alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Moon during a Lunar Eclipse?
Earth is directly between the Sun and the Moon.
How did the Cassini mission officially conclude on September 15, 2017?
NASA intentionally sent the spacecraft plummeting into Saturn's atmosphere to burn up.
What was a major challenge for the Apollo missions?
Supplying enough food and water for the astronauts.
What was the main challenge involving the rover during the Mars Mission?
Landing the rover safely was a challenge due to it's weight and equipment.
What does "waning" mean in terms of the moon's phases?
During which specific lunar phase must a Solar Eclipse occur?
New Moon
One of the most important findings of the Curiosity rover was proving the presence of what kind of past environment on Mars?
Ancient lakes or liquid water once flowed on Mars.
Cassini was an international collaboration involving NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency to explore this planet and its system.
Saturn
Hubble Space Telescope
How many days long is the complete lunar cycle (from one New Moon to the next)?
29.5
During which specific lunar phase must a Lunar Eclipse occur?
Full Moon
If you see a Waning Gibbous moon, what does this phase look like?
It appears as more than half-illuminated but shrinking as it approaches the Third Quarter.
What was discovered about Titan during the Cassini mission?
It discovered that there was liquid flowing on it's surface.
What is one major challenge with the Hubble Space Telescope?
Keeping it working (There have been at least six missions where astronauts have repaired, updated, or added new equipment to the telescope).
When does a full moon appear?
Despite alignments happening regularly, Earth experiences relatively few eclipses. What specific characteristic of the Moon's orbit causes this?
The Moon's orbit around Earth is tilted (inclined) by about 5 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the Sun, meaning the Sun, Earth, and Moon rarely line up perfectly in the same plane.
Long before clocks or calendars many cultures used the Moon's changing phases as a way to do this...
Measure the passing of time.