Telescopes and space missions

Grade 9 Science Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. 1.

   Why are some telescopes placed in space, by Ari's reading (NASA)?

   • To get closer to the stars
   • Because ground telescopes cannot see visible light
   • To get above the air, which blurs and blocks some light
   • To avoid the Moon's gravity
2. 2.

   The spectrum from radio to gamma rays with the air's open and blocked bands. Which kind of light does Earth's air block, so it must be studied from space, by Bo's reading (NASA)?

   • X-rays
   • Radio waves
   • Red light
   • Visible light

3. Read this first

   Table, Two space telescopes (NASA), with columns Telescope, Mirror diameter, Where it is

   Hubble, 2.4 m, orbiting Earth, about 560 km up; Webb, 6.5 m, orbiting the Sun, 1.5 million km from Earth.

4. 3.

   Where does the Webb telescope orbit, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • On the Moon's surface
   • Inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
   • Around Earth, about 560 km up, like Hubble
   • Around the Sun, about 1.5 million km from Earth
5. 4.

   How wide is Webb's main mirror compared with Hubble's, by Luz's reading?

   • Webb's is wider: 6.5 m against 2.4 m
   • Hubble's is wider
   • They are the same width
   • Webb has no mirror
6. 5.

   What does a bigger telescope mirror mainly do, by Milo's reading (NASA)?

   • Collects more light, so fainter objects can be seen
   • Makes the telescope lighter to launch
   • Moves the telescope closer to its target
   • Blocks X-rays
7. 6.

   A spacecraft passes a planet without stopping. What kind of mission is it, by Noah's reading?

   • A lander
   • A flyby
   • A rover
   • An orbiter
8. 7.

   NASA's Perseverance drives across Mars's surface. What kind of mission is it, by Pia's reading?

   • A flyby
   • A space telescope
   • A rover
   • An orbiter
9. 8.

   NASA's New Horizons flew past Pluto on July 14, 2015. What kind of mission was that, by Ren's reading?

   • A rover
   • A lander
   • A ground telescope
   • A flyby
10. 9.

    Radio signals travel at the speed of light. How long does a signal take from a spacecraft one light-day away, by Tala's reading?

    • About one day
    • No time; radio is instant
    • About one second
    • About one year
11. 10.

    Hubble orbits Earth a few hundred kilometers up. Why does that not bring stars noticeably closer, by Esme's reading?

    • Hubble flies out to the stars
    • Stars are just a few thousand km away
    • It does; that is why it was launched
    • A few hundred km is tiny next to star distances