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

2. Read this first

   Use this

   The spectrum from radio to gamma rays with the air's open and blocked bands.

3. 2.

   Which kind of light does Earth's air block, so it must be studied from space, by Bo's reading (NASA)?

   • Red light
   • X-rays
   • Visible light
   • Radio waves
4. 3.

   Which kind of light reaches the ground well, even on cloudy days, by Kira's reading (NASA)?

   • X-rays
   • Gamma rays
   • Ultraviolet light
   • Radio waves
5. 4.

   Hubble, 2.4 m, orbiting Earth, about 560 km up; Webb, 6.5 m, orbiting the Sun, 1.5 million km from Earth. Where does the Webb telescope orbit, by Jun's reading (NASA)?

   • Around the Sun, about 1.5 million km from Earth
   • Around Earth, about 560 km up, like Hubble
   • Inside the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter
   • On the Moon's surface
6. 5.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

   • A flyby
   • A rover
   • A lander
   • A ground telescope
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?

    • No time; radio is instant
    • About one second
    • About one day
    • 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?

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