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How to track a comet
Contributed by: Kay
  • 1. What is the first step in tracking a comet?
A) Predicting its future path
B) Building a specialized telescope
C) Calculating its mass
D) Locating the comet's initial position
  • 2. What resource is typically used to find initial comet positions?
A) Personal telescopes only
B) Astronomical catalogs and databases
C) Newspaper articles
D) Dream interpretations
  • 3. Which type of telescope is best for observing comets?
A) Reflecting telescope
B) Refracting telescope
C) Radio telescope
D) Binoculars
  • 4. What type of chart or software is used to plot a comet's position?
A) Weather forecast
B) Road map
C) Star chart or planetarium software
D) Stock market graph
  • 5. What is Right Ascension and Declination?
A) Time zones
B) Celestial coordinates
C) Chemical compositions
D) Political boundaries
  • 6. How frequently should observations be made to accurately track a comet?
A) Only during a full moon
B) As often as possible, ideally nightly
C) Once a year
D) Once a month
  • 7. What causes a comet's tail?
A) Solar radiation and solar wind
B) Internal combustion
C) Atmospheric friction
D) Earth's gravity
  • 8. What is the nucleus of a comet made of?
A) Liquid water
B) Ice, dust, and rock
C) Pure gold
D) Gaseous helium
  • 9. What unit of measurement is typically used for distances in space?
A) Kilometers
B) Inches
C) Miles
D) Astronomical Units (AU)
  • 10. What is an ephemeris?
A) A table of predicted positions of a celestial object
B) A scientific theory
C) A type of comet
D) A telescope accessory
  • 11. What is the purpose of astrometry?
A) Analyzing weather patterns
B) Precise measurement of star positions
C) Predicting earthquakes
D) Studying black holes
  • 12. Which software is commonly used for astrometry?
A) Astrometrica
B) Minecraft
C) Microsoft Word
D) Adobe Photoshop
  • 13. What is needed to perform astrometry on an image?
A) Only the image itself
B) A crystal ball
C) Accurate time and location data
D) A lucky charm
  • 14. What is orbital determination?
A) Melting ice cream
B) Flying a kite
C) Naming a comet
D) Calculating the orbit of a comet
  • 15. What data is needed for orbital determination?
A) Multiple position measurements
B) A single position measurement
C) Wishful thinking
D) Guesswork
  • 16. What force primarily influences a comet's orbit?
A) Magnetism
B) Wind
C) Gravity
D) Friction
  • 17. What can perturb a comet's orbit?
A) Telescope alignment
B) Eating ice cream
C) Planetary gravitational influences
D) Sunlight
  • 18. What is the Oort cloud?
A) A distant reservoir of comets
B) A cloud of smog
C) A constellation
D) A type of telescope
  • 19. What is the Kuiper Belt?
A) A region inside Mercury filled with lava
B) A region near Mars with sand dunes
C) A region near Jupiter with auroras
D) A region beyond Neptune containing icy bodies
  • 20. What does 'perihelion' refer to?
A) The point in a comet's orbit closest to the Sun
B) The speed of light
C) The point farthest from the Sun
D) The name of a famous astronomer
  • 21. What does 'aphelion' refer to?
A) The point closest to the Sun
B) The study of apples
C) The point in a comet's orbit farthest from the Sun
D) The name of a spaceship
  • 22. Why is tracking a comet over time important?
A) To refine its orbital parameters
B) To change its color
C) To make it disappear
D) To teach it tricks
  • 23. What is a light curve?
A) A measurement of a comet's speed
B) A diagram of a comet's tail
C) A recipe for a comet-shaped cake
D) A graph of a comet's brightness over time
  • 24. What can a light curve tell you about a comet?
A) Its favorite color
B) Its political opinions
C) Its chemical composition directly
D) Its activity level
  • 25. What is important to record along with your observations?
A) Weather conditions and seeing quality
B) The music you were listening to
C) Your mood at the time
D) The type of food you ate
  • 26. Why is it important to submit your observations to the Minor Planet Center?
A) To contribute to scientific knowledge
B) To impress your friends
C) To get your name on the comet
D) To win a prize
  • 27. What is the role of the Minor Planet Center (MPC)?
A) Collects and disseminates asteroid and comet observations
B) Creates new constellations
C) Manages space travel tourism
D) Sells telescopes
  • 28. What is a sungrazing comet?
A) A comet that only appears during the day
B) A comet that eats the Sun
C) A comet made of sunlight
D) A comet that passes very close to the Sun
  • 29. What is a periodic comet?
A) A comet made of metal
B) A comet that appears only once
C) A comet that sings songs
D) A comet with a well-defined orbit and period
  • 30. What can amateur astronomers contribute to comet tracking?
A) Funding for space missions
B) Valuable observations and data
C) Building rockets
D) Nothing of importance
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