Puzzle of an Echoing Comet's Origin — Questions and answers

Read the full story

What kind of man was Jan Oort described as?

Choices

  1. Loud and impatient
  2. Quiet and persistent ✓
  3. Curious and talkative
  4. Sleepy and forgetful

Answer: Quiet and persistent

From page 4

What did Carl Sagan say that encouraged Oort to persevere?

Choices

  1. 'The clues were scattered and incomplete.'
  2. 'It must have been so frustrating.'
  3. 'Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.' ✓
  4. 'A hidden pattern was waiting to be found.'

Answer: 'Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.'

From page 5

What amazing thing did Oort discover about the origins of long-period comets?

Choices

  1. They were all going to the same place.
  2. They were all falling from a single, vast, spherical cloud. ✓
  3. They were completely random in their paths.
  4. They came from outside our solar system entirely.

Answer: They were all falling from a single, vast, spherical cloud.

From page 6

How far away is the Oort Cloud from the sun?

Choices

  1. It's just beyond Earth's orbit.
  2. It's nearly a light-year from the sun. ✓
  3. It's a quarter of the way to Pluto.
  4. It's very close, just a few million miles.

Answer: It's nearly a light-year from the sun.

From page 7

What does Taj compare the Oort Cloud to, based on her observation in the cavern?

Choices

  1. The lantern's glow
  2. The warm boat
  3. The ice crystals on the cavern wall ✓
  4. The far wall of the cavern itself

Answer: The ice crystals on the cavern wall

From page 8