Citizen Science Day Scavenger Hunt Answers

If you’ve done your best on our Scavenger Hunt, check your answers here! Don’t forget to comment on the blog post here and let us know how you did!

CosmoQuest:

  • In which project can you find photos of Aurora Borealis? Image Detective
  • Which spacecraft gathered data for our Moon Mappers project? Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
  • What podcast does Pamela Gay host with Fraser Cain? Astronomy Cast
  • What are the names of the five CosmoQuest citizen science projects? Image Detective, Moon Mappers, Mercury Mappers, Vesta Mappers, Mars Mappers
  • What are the four possible areas you can propose new citizen science projects in? earth science, planetary science, astrophysics, or heliophysics
  • What surface feature do all four mapping projects focus on? Craters, volcanoes, water, canyons
  • Finish the statement: Craters are circular holes in the ground with ___________ on one side and a ___________ on the other. bright sunlight; dark shadow

Image Detective:

  • Where did the photos for Image Detective come from? Astronauts on ISS and other missions
  • How many images from the International Space Station does NASA need help in analyzing? Over 1.5 million
  • What is one science goal? Label locations, identify spacecraft or phenomena in photos, categorize photos so that they can be used by scientists

Moon Mappers:

  • What is one science goal? Identify and map craters so that they can be studied by scientists
  • What are possible benefits to mapping craters on the moon? Interesting places/ future exploration
  • What makes mapping craters on the Moon difficult? Shadows that make the craters and hills look similar

  • What types of images are used in the Moon Mappers? High resolution detailed images BETTER: Narrow Angle Camera Images

Mercury Mappers:

  • What is one science goal?Identify and map craters and surface features so that they can be studied by scientists
  • Which NASA mission does data for this project come from?MESSENGER
  • Why are the images so full of craters?Mercury has been hit by many objects, due to it being so close to the Sun. The Sun’s gravity tends to pull everything towards it!

Vesta Mappers:

  • What is one science goal? Identify and map craters and surface features so that they can be studied by scientists
  • Which NASA mission does data for this project come from? DAWN
  • What is Vesta? A giant asteroid/mini-planet

Mars Mappers:

  • What is one science goal? Identify and map craters and surface features so that they can be studied by scientists
  • What mystery about Mars could be uncovered through mapping the surface of Mars? Where the Water is!
  • Name one feature on Mars you don’t see on the Moon, Mercury, or Vesta? Sand Dunes

We hope you had fun, and will revisit our citizen science projects!