Conroy Virtus

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/conroy-virtus

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How high is Conroy Virtus?Operates in Earth orbit, significantly above atmospheric interference
2. What is the scientific name?Conroy Virtus
3. What is the spectral observation range?Capable of observing across visible and infrared wavelengths
4. Why was Conroy Virtus built instead of using ground telescopes?Ground telescopes can’t see as clearly because the Earth’s air blurs and lights from cities interfere. Conroy Virtus is in space, so it doesn’t have those problems and can see much fainter objects.
5. How does Conroy Virtus see far‑away stars and planets?Its big mirror collects light from space and sends it to cameras and spectrographs that measure the light’s color, brightness, and other details. This lets scientists learn the temperature, makeup, and motion of stars and planets.

Electromagnetic Radiation: Energy that travels in waves, including visible light, infrared, and radio waves.
Spectrograph: An instrument that splits light into its component colors to analyze its properties.
Dark Energy: A mysterious force believed to be causing the universe's accelerated expansion.
Dark Matter: An invisible substance that exerts gravitational pull but does not interact with light.