Winter Solstice and Trump Presidency Quiz

Donald Trump's 2024 Presidential Election

• Trump was re-elected US President on November 5, 2024, securing 292 electoral votes.
• He is projected to win the popular vote with almost 72 million votes, against approximately 67 million for Kamala Harris.
• This makes him the first Republican candidate to win both the electoral and popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
• At 78 years old, Trump is the oldest person elected US president.
• He is only the second person to win the presidency in two non-consecutive terms, following Grover Cleveland.
• Trump's running mate, JD Vance, will become the first millennial Vice President.
• Republicans secured a majority in the Senate.
• Republican party had won 201 out of 218 House seats by November 6, 2024.

NASA's Europa Clipper Mission

• NASA launched the Europa Clipper spacecraft to Jupiter's moon Europa on October 14, 2024.
• The spacecraft successfully entered orbit an hour and 10 minutes after launch, deploying its solar arrays.
• Europa is a prime candidate for extraterrestrial life due to possible liquid water, energy, and chemical elements.
• Scientists believe Europa's subsurface ocean contains twice the amount of water as Earth's oceans.
• Jupiter's gravity pulls on Europa, generating heat and preventing the underground ocean from freezing.
• Europa's surface potentially holds crucial elements for life, like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen.
• The Europa Clipper will travel 1.8 billion miles over 5.5 years to reach Europa.
• It will use gravity assist maneuvers, including a flyby of Mars (2025) and Earth (2025), to gain speed.
• The spacecraft will enter Jupiter's orbit in April 2030.
• It will conduct 49 flybys of Europa over three years, mapping the moon and getting as close as 16 miles to its surface.
• The mission aims to study the thickness of Europa's ice shell, understand the composition of its ocean, and determine if life-supporting areas exist below the icy surface.
• The spacecraft will intentionally crash into Ganymede at the end of the mission.

November 2024 Supermoon

• The November 15, 2024, supermoon is the final supermoon of the year.
• This supermoon is the last of a sequence that includes past Blue Moon, Harvest Moon, and Hunter Moon.
• Supermoons are 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than standard full moons.
• Supermoons happen when the full moon aligns with perigee, the moon's closest point to Earth.
• The 2024 November supermoon will be approximately 224,853 miles away from Earth.
• The moon’s distance from Earth is affected by its elliptical orbit, ranging from perigee (about 226,000 miles) to apogee (about 253,000 miles).

Drone Recharging Technology

• Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have developed a drone capable of recharging on-the-go from power lines.
• The drone uses radar and cameras to locate power lines.
• A gripper securely connects the drone to the power line, powering the drone via a magnetic circuit.
• This technology is comparable to a wireless phone charger.
• A prototype 9.5-pound drone successfully recharged five times and flew for over two hours.
• The technology could revolutionize power line maintenance and inspections.

Ancient Silver Coins Discovery

• Metal detectorists found 2,584 silver pennies in Chew Valley, Somerset, England, in January 2019.
• The coins date back to the 11th century (between 1066-1068).
• The coins were purchased by the South West Heritage Trust in October 2024 for $5.5 million.
• Half the purchase price goes to the metal detectorists, and the other half to the landowner.
• The coins were likely minted at 46 locations in England.
• Half the coins depict King Harold II, and the other half King William I.
• The coins were likely buried for safekeeping during a rebellion against William I in 1068.
• The Chew Valley Hoard will tour museums across the UK and be housed permanently at the South West Museum of Somerset.

World's First Wooden Satellite

• LignoSat, the world's first wooden satellite, was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in November 2024.
• It's made primarily of wood from magnolia trees.
• The satellite will orbit Earth for six months, testing the wood's resilience in space.
• This is part of a collaboration between Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry.
• The experiment aims to reduce space junk generated by aluminum satellites.
• By using a sustainable material, LignoSat envisions a future where spacecraft designs could be more eco-friendly.

Student-Built Rocket Record Breaker

• Aftershock II, a rocket built by USC students, achieved a new amateur space altitude record.
• Launched from Black Rock Desert in October 2024, the rocket reached 470,000 feet (143.3 km).
• It surpassed the previous record of 380,000 feet (115.8 km) set by GoFast in 2004.
• The rocket cruised through the sound barrier and reached 3,600 mph (5,800 km/h) within 19 seconds.
• Enhanced titanium fins and heat-resistant paint enabled the rocket to withstand extreme temperatures.
• USC Rocket Propulsion Lab is building upon previous success, like in 2019 with Traveler IV crossing the Kármán Line.

December 21, 2024 - Winter Solstice

• The winter solstice occurs on December 21, 2024, marking the shortest day and longest night in the Northern Hemisphere.
• The Southern Hemisphere experiences the summer solstice on the same date.
• Earth's tilt and orbit around the sun create the seasons.
• The winter solstice holds significant cultural meaning for many cultures, notably marked at historic sites like Stonehenge and Newgrange.
• Winter solstice celebrations feature various traditions worldwide.