Carolyn Porco — Questions and answers

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What important event happened with the Cassini spacecraft on July 1, 2004?

Choices

  1. It launched into space.
  2. It arrived at Saturn and went into orbit. ✓
  3. It took its first picture of Earth.
  4. It finished its mission and landed.

Answer: It arrived at Saturn and went into orbit.

From page 1

Before Cassini, what was Carolyn Porco's role in the Voyager missions?

Choices

  1. She designed the spacecraft.
  2. She was a junior member of the imaging team. ✓
  3. She was the lead scientist.
  4. She piloted the spacecraft.

Answer: She was a junior member of the imaging team.

From page 2

What were the two types of cameras that made up the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS) on Cassini?

Choices

  1. A red camera and a blue camera.
  2. A small camera and a large camera.
  3. A narrow-angle camera (NAC) and a wide-angle camera (WAC). ✓
  4. A zoom camera and a panoramic camera.

Answer: A narrow-angle camera (NAC) and a wide-angle camera (WAC).

From page 5

What important discovery did Cassini make about the moon Enceladus?

Choices

  1. It was covered in volcanoes.
  2. It had a very hot surface.
  3. It had massive plumes of water vapor and ice erupting from it. ✓
  4. It was made entirely of gas.

Answer: It had massive plumes of water vapor and ice erupting from it.

From page 7

Besides her scientific work, what did Carolyn Porco do to share Cassini's discoveries with the world?

Choices

  1. She kept all the information secret.
  2. She painted pictures of Saturn.
  3. She became a prominent voice in science communication, sharing information through lectures and documentaries. ✓
  4. She wrote a children's book about space.

Answer: She became a prominent voice in science communication, sharing information through lectures and documentaries.

From page 9

How did the Cassini mission end its journey in 2017?

Choices

  1. It flew back to Earth.
  2. It landed on Saturn's moon Titan.
  3. It plunged into Saturn's atmosphere. ✓
  4. It stopped working and drifted into deep space.

Answer: It plunged into Saturn's atmosphere.

From page 10