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Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in X-ray binaries help estimate black hole spin.
- True
- False
Answer: True
High-frequency QPOs correlate with inner disk dynamics near ISCO, providing indirect spin measurements complementary to continuum fitting.
Mars has polar ice caps composed of both water ice and dry ice (CO₂).
- True
- False
Answer: True
Martian polar caps contain layered water ice overlain by seasonal CO₂ frost; north cap retains summer water ice, south cap retains perennial CO₂.
The Zarya module was the first component of the International Space Station launched in 1998.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Zarya (Functional Cargo Block) launched Nov 20, 1998, providing initial propulsion/power until Unity node arrived weeks later.
Psyche is a metallic M-type asteroid targeted by a NASA mission launched in 2023.
- True
- False
Answer: True
NASA's Psyche mission launched Oct 2023 to explore the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche, possibly a protoplanet's exposed core.
Magnetars are neutron stars with extremely powerful magnetic fields (~10^14 Gauss).
- True
- False
Answer: True
Magnetars possess magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than Earth's, producing giant flares and soft gamma repeater bursts.
Aerobraking uses atmospheric drag to reduce spacecraft velocity and adjust orbit without propellant.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Aerobraking gradually lowers apoapsis by skimming upper atmosphere, saving fuel for orbit insertion (used by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mangalyaan).
Miranda, a moon of Uranus, shows evidence of extreme geological resurfacing with coronae features.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Miranda's surface displays ovoid coronae, fault canyons, and varied terrains suggesting past tidal heating or catastrophic disruption/reassembly.
The photon sphere is a region around a black hole where gravity bends light into circular orbits.
- True
- False
Answer: True
At 1.5 Schwarzschild radii, photons can theoretically orbit a non-rotating black hole, forming the boundary visible in EHT images as the bright ring.
Mercury has ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters at its poles.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Despite proximity to the Sun, Mercury's zero axial tilt keeps polar craters in permanent shadow, allowing water ice to persist, confirmed by MESSENGER mission.
Skylab was the first U.S. space station, launched in 1973.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Skylab operated from 1973-1979, hosting three crews and conducting solar/astronomical research before re-entering Earth's atmosphere in 1979.
Haumea is distinguished by its elongated ellipsoidal shape and rapid rotation.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Haumea rotates every ~4 hours, causing extreme flattening into a triaxial ellipsoid. It also has a ring system and two moons.
Wolf-Rayet stars are massive stars losing mass rapidly through strong stellar winds.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Wolf-Rayet stars (>20 solar masses) exhibit broad emission lines from intense winds ejecting outer layers, preceding supernova or gamma-ray burst events.
Starlink satellites operate in geostationary orbit for low-latency internet.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Starlink uses Low Earth Orbit (~550 km) constellations to achieve low latency (~20-40 ms), unlike GEO satellites which have ~600 ms latency due to distance.
Jupiter emits more energy than it receives from the Sun.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Jupiter radiates about twice the energy it absorbs from sunlight, generated by Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction and residual heat from formation.
KARI is the space agency of South Korea.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) manages South Korea's space program, including Nuri launch vehicle and KPLO lunar orbiter.
Intermediate-mass black holes (100–100,000 solar masses) have been definitively confirmed through multiple observations.
- True
- False
Answer: False
While candidates exist (e.g., HLX-1), intermediate-mass black holes remain elusive and lack definitive confirmation compared to stellar-mass and supermassive black holes.
Uranus has narrow, dark rings composed mainly of carbon-rich material.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Discovered in 1977 via stellar occultation, Uranus' 13 known rings are narrow, opaque, and dark, likely containing radiation-processed organic compounds.
UKSA stands for United Kingdom Space Agency.
- True
- False
Answer: True
UKSA is the executive agency of the UK government responsible for civil space policy, regulation, and international cooperation.
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars emitting beams of electromagnetic radiation.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Pulsars are highly magnetized neutron stars rotating at precise intervals, emitting lighthouse-like beams detectable as regular pulses when aligned with Earth.
Hall-effect thrusters are a type of electric propulsion used in satellites.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Hall thrusters ionize propellant (usually xenon) using electric fields, providing efficient low-thrust propulsion for station-keeping and orbit raising in modern satellites.