Carl Sagan — Questions and answers

Read the full story

Which space probe was commanded to turn its cameras back towards Earth on Valentine's Day in 1990, resulting in the 'Pale Blue Dot' image?

Choices

  1. Mariner 9
  2. Voyager 2
  3. Voyager 1 ✓
  4. Viking 1

Answer: Voyager 1

From page 1

What profound implication about the elements in our bodies did Carl Sagan grasp even as a young boy?

Choices

  1. The elements in our bodies are primarily composed of ancient terrestrial minerals.
  2. The elements in our bodies are unique to Earth and not found elsewhere.
  3. The same elements forged in distant stars constitute every atom of our bodies. ✓
  4. The elements in our bodies are constantly changing through cosmic radiation.

Answer: The same elements forged in distant stars constitute every atom of our bodies.

From page 2

Which two universities did Carl Sagan attend during his academic journey?

Choices

  1. Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  2. Cornell University and Princeton University
  3. California Institute of Technology and Stanford University
  4. University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley ✓

Answer: University of Chicago and University of California, Berkeley

From page 3

In which NASA missions did Carl Sagan play a crucial advisory role, shaping the early era of robotic planetary exploration?

Choices

  1. Mariner missions to Venus and Mars, and Viking missions to Mars ✓
  2. Cassini mission to Saturn, and Galileo mission to Jupiter
  3. New Horizons mission to Pluto, and Juno mission to Jupiter
  4. Apollo missions to the Moon, and Pioneer missions to Jupiter

Answer: Mariner missions to Venus and Mars, and Viking missions to Mars

From page 4

What did Carl Sagan, along with James Pollack, accurately model for Venus, providing a powerful lesson in planetary climatology?

Choices

  1. Its lush, humid environment capable of supporting microbial life
  2. Its extensive polar ice caps and subsurface oceans
  3. Its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere and infernal surface temperatures driven by a runaway greenhouse effect ✓
  4. Its rapid rotation and strong magnetic field

Answer: Its dense carbon dioxide atmosphere and infernal surface temperatures driven by a runaway greenhouse effect

From page 5

What was the name of the time capsule of Earth's sounds, images, and music that Carl Sagan helped assemble for the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions?

Choices

  1. The Golden Record ✓
  2. The Cosmic Compendium
  3. The Interstellar Archive
  4. The Planetary Playlist

Answer: The Golden Record

From page 6

What was the estimated global viewership for Carl Sagan's television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, launched in 1980?

Choices

  1. 750 million people in 90 countries
  2. 250 million people in 45 countries
  3. 100 million people in 30 countries
  4. 500 million people in 60 countries ✓

Answer: 500 million people in 60 countries

From page 7

When did the 'Pale Blue Dot' image, suggested by Carl Sagan, result from Voyager 1 turning its camera back towards Earth?

Choices

  1. 1980
  2. 1996
  3. 1990 ✓
  4. 1977

Answer: 1990

From page 8

What did Carl Sagan believe scientific methods could lead to when applied to societal issues?

Choices

  1. Increased political polarization
  2. More informed and equitable outcomes ✓
  3. Unnecessary government intervention
  4. A decline in public interest in science

Answer: More informed and equitable outcomes

From page 9

What new telescope continues to extend humanity's gaze further into the 'cosmic ocean' that Carl Sagan described?

Choices

  1. James Webb Space Telescope ✓
  2. Kepler Space Telescope
  3. Hubble Space Telescope
  4. Chandra X-ray Observatory

Answer: James Webb Space Telescope

From page 10