Discussion 3

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Dallas County Community College *

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1403

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Astronomy

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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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