Discussion 3
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Dallas County Community College *
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1403
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Astronomy
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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6
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1.
Contrast the giant planets with those of the inner solar
system?
2.
What were some of the mysteries of the outer solar system that Voyager was trying to investigate?
They were trying to reach the Gas Giants. Some mysteries were the radiation from Jupiter which could be heard from Earth, Saturn’s rings, and Uranus being tipped over.
3.
What were some of the challenges Dr. Edward Stone of
the JPL mentioned with exploring the outer solar system?
Men had only flown relatively close to Earth and outside of that spacecraft flew to Mars with significant trouble doing so, because of this, reaching the outer solar system seemed impossible. Such distances, technology requirements, communication issues and environmental factors created problems for those working on the mission.
4.
What was the significance of Gary Flandro's orbital calculations for the Voyager mission?
(JUPITER-
SATURN-URANUS-NEPTUNE). How were gravitational interactions with planets used to increase the range of our spacecrafts?
Flandro's orbital calculations were significant for the Voyager mission because he discovered a rare alignment of the outer planets. Gravitational interactions increased the range and speed of the Voyager spacecraft, enabling it to explore multiple planets within a single mission.
5.
What is the Deep Space Network?
A global network of antennas and communication facilities operated by NASA.
6.
What is the asteroid belt?
A region located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter populated with numerous small rocky bodies.
7.
Why were Pioneer 10 and 11 important?
What did they discover?
Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 were important because they were the first spacecraft to venture beyond the asteroid belt, providing crucial data for the future Voyager mission. In a sense, they were test dummies which discovered details about
Jupiter.
8.
Who is James Van Allen?
Discuss the Van Allen Radiation Belts. What kind of space environment was expected around Jupiter? How did this influence the technical specifications of spacecraft exploring the planet?
James Van Allen was an American space scientist known for his discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. These belts wee regions of intense radiation. When exploring Jupiter, scientists expected a similarly intense radiation, thus influencing the technical specifications of spacecraft exploring Jupiter. Scientist used a stronger shielding for electronics and adjusted procedures to help as well.
9.
Discuss the information about our civilization that was included in the Voyager missions.
10.
Discuss the discovery of the moons of Jupiter by Galileo (the scientist). What were some of his other contributions to science?
Galileo discovered Jupiter's four largest moons in 1610. He also made significant contributions to astronomy and physics.
11.
What did Voyager reveal about Jupiter's clouds?
Discuss the Great Red Spot and the interactions in Jupiter's atmosphere.
What is their composition?
What about the core?
What is the source of its great magnetic field?
Voyager revealed details about Jupiter's cloud layers, including dynamic storm systems. The Great Red Spot, a massive storm, was observed in detail, showcasing its turbulent nature and longevity. Jupiter's atmosphere primarily consists of hydrogen and helium, with traces of other compounds such as ammonia and methane. The source of its strong magnetic field is believed to be a process driven by metallic hydrogen in its core.
12.
Contrast scientist's expectations of Jupiter's moons with what we discovered.
Scientist expected to focus on the planet’s bands rather than its moons. They expected them to be like our own moon, cold and dead.
13.
Discuss the electrical interactions between Jupiter and its moons. Does Jupiter have an aurora?
Jupiter's powerful magnetic field induces electrical interactions
with its moons, generating intense radiation belts and auroras.
Yes, Jupiter does have auroras.
14.
Discuss Ganymede's surface and its implications.
Its surface displays a complex terrain with both cratered regions and grooved plains, suggesting past geological activity and potential water.
15. What did Callisto's surface reveal?
Characterize its geologic activity and tell us about it.
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Callisto's surface is covered in craters, indicating it has been geologically quiet for a long time with few signs of activity.
15.
Discuss the early pictures of Saturn.
Who was Giovanni Cassini?
Describe the ring structure of Saturn.
Early pictures of Saturn revealed a mysterious, seemingly solid structure, which later observations by Giovanni Cassini determined to be a ring system composed of numerous individual rings with gaps.
16.
What are shepherd moons? What did Carolyn Porco discovery reveal about Saturn's magnetic field?
Shepherd moons are small moons that orbit within or near Saturn’s ring system, helping to maintain the rings' structure. Porco's discovery revealed that Saturn's magnetic field is connected to its ring system, changing its structure and dynamics.
17.
What is the origin of Saturn's
rings? What was found
on Mimas? On Tethys? What does this tell us about their early history?
Saturn's rings are believed to be the remnants of a shattered moon or a failed moon formation. Mimas has a large impact crater called Herschel, while Tethys has a prominent feature known as Odysseus, suggesting significant early impacts on these moons, providing insights into the processes that shaped the early solar system.
18.
Discuss Saturn's atmosphere and composition.
Saturn's atmosphere is primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, with traces of other gases such as methane, similarly to Jupiter.
19.
What kind of modifications had to
be made to the Voyager spacecraft when it was near Uranus? How is
Uranus different than Jupiter and Saturn?
What was its
composition?
Modifications made to the Voyager spacecraft near Uranus included adjustments to its trajectory and instrumentation to accommodate the unique characteristics of the planet's atmosphere and magnetic field. Uranus differs from Jupiter and Saturn in several ways, including its composition, as it primarily consists of hydrogen and helium with methane giving it a distinctive blue-green color. Additionally, Uranus rotates on its side, has a unique ring system, and lacks the intense atmospheric dynamics and strong magnetic fields observed on Jupiter and Saturn.
20.
Discuss Uranus' moon, Miranda.
Miranda had an appearance of a “jigsaw puzzle” as it is theorized it has pieces from another moon “hodged podged” together.
21.
What were some of the challenges
Voyager faced when it arrived at Neptune?
What did it discover?
When Voyager arrived at Neptune, it had to perfectly time its positioning over the north pole. Voyager discovered the complexity of Neptune’s atmosphere.
22.
Discuss Neptune's ring arcs and its atmospheric dynamics.
Neptune's ring arcs are narrow, incomplete rings composed of icy particles that are believed to be maintained by the gravitational influence of nearby moons. Neptune's atmospheric dynamics are characterized by strong winds, including the fastest recorded winds in the solar system.
23.
What did Voyager discover about Triton?
Discuss its geologic activity and its composition.
Voyager discovered that Triton, Neptune's largest moon which
may have been a planet, exhibits significant geologic activity, including volcanic activity and icy geysers erupting nitrogen gas and dust particles. Its surface is composed primarily of water ice mixed with frozen nitrogen.
24.
The Galileo probe returned to Jupiter in 1994.
Discuss its discoveries.
The Galileo probe's return to Jupiter in 1994 provided valuable
insights into the planet's atmosphere, magnetosphere, and moons.
25.
The Cassini-Huygens probe explored Saturn and Titan in 2004. It was a joint effort between many countries, NASA, and JPL. Research the project on the NASA website and tell us about it.
The Cassini-Huygens mission, a joint effort between NASA, the
European Space Agency (ESA), and the Italian Space Agency (ASI), explored Saturn and its moons, particularly Titan. Cassini conducted extensive observations of Saturn's rings, magnetosphere, and atmosphere, while the Huygens probe made the historic landing on Titan, providing data about its surface and atmosphere.
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