Tag: space

News Science

First Russian Woman On ISS

Cosmonaut Elena Serova arrived on the International Space Station (ISS) on September 26, becoming the first Russian woman to join the crew of the space station.
Serova and two other astronauts made the six-hour flight in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. They docked with the ISS while orbiting 364 kilometres above the Earth.

Lighter News

Fun Quiz: 2013 In Review (Part II)

How much do you remember about the news that happened in 2013? Our fun 2013 quiz continues.

The answers to the quiz can be found by clicking on the TKN article beside each question.

16) What is a Bitcoin?

17) In April 2014, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health was worried about the large number of overweight people in the city so he put out a news release saying he wants restaurants to add something to their menus. What does he want added?

18) In May 2013, Chris Hadfield went home. Where was he coming from?

News

Take Our Fun Quiz: 2013 In Review (Part I)

How much do you know about the news that happened in 2013?

Take our quiz and see how much you remember about these stories from the past year. The link beside each question will take you to the TKN article that will give you the answer.

1) First Nations, Inuit and Metis people came together to form a movement for peaceful protest. What did the group call itself?

2) Chris Hadfield is famous for _____________. (Note: There are many possible correct answers for this one — fill the blank with what you know about Hadfield.)

News Science

The “Comet Of The Century” Set To Put On A Show

Comet ISON is about to put on a show.

Scientists around the world are watching as ISON streaks, ever-faster, towards the sun.

NASA has been studying ISON since December, when it was more than 800 million kilometres away.

Experts are calling Comet ISON as “the comet of the century.”

What is a comet? Here’s how astrophysicist Julie Abraham describes a comet: “It’s basically a big ball of dirty ice in orbit around the sun that gradually melts or burns up, spewing out debris and water in a plume blown out behind it.”

News Science Technology

MAVEN Spacecraft Takes Off For Mars

This week, a “robotic explorer” left Earth on its way to Mars.

It should get there next September. Mars is more than 700 million kilometres away.

The explorer is going to Mars to try to solve some of the planet’s mysteries.

For instance, why is Mars now a cold, dry planet when it started out warm and wet?

The Associated Press reports that “the early Martian atmosphere was thick enough to hold water and possibly support microbial life.”

Scientists at NASA want to know what happened to change that.

News Science Sports

Olympic Torch Arrives Back From Outer Space

The Olympic torch has been to outer space and back.

The torch has even been on a spacewalk.

It’s the first time that has ever happened.

The torch will be used to light the flame that will launch the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, hosted by Russia.

On Nov. 7, a spacecraft called the Soyuz TMA-11M left Russia carrying three crew members and the Olympic torch.

It was bound for the International Space Station (ISS), which is in orbit around the Earth.

Two Russian cosmonauts on the ISS received the torch. Later, they brought it outside and symbolically handed it off to each other in open space. The hand-off took about an hour.