TheSkySearchers

Greetings again TSSers, here's a new Astro trivia quiz:
https://forms.gle/nLWRLHUFzxWnyEet5

Note, spelling matters only for the last question. Correct spelling will score 3 points, a reasonable misspelling will score 2 points.

Remember:
1. No online research allowed, your own pure brain only!
2. On multiple choice questions, feel free to guess. You may get lucky!
3. If you have a comment about a question, please do NOT give away the correct answer.
4. Please do not repeat the quiz, at least not until after I announce the Champs sometime next week.

Enjoy!

I got 11/20 on the EAS quiz (same)...

Back to normal, 13/20, can't spell.

Steve

Rather than report my score, let me just say that I am continuing in a consistent pattern of doing better than random chance.

Thanks for the quiz.

Oops, completely missed the first question (which I wouldn't have got anyway).
Fortunately, grabbed some back later on.

Fun quiz.
Science, optics, history, solar system - a good mix.

Somewhat moderately easy but several were real brainers.....

My maths was always better than my spelling!

9/20

Thanks Ray.

Regards

Graeme

Thanks all for participating! Total of 12 responses this month.

As usual, the 12 questions scored 20 points.
Overall average score: 11.33 points = 56.7%.

Honorable mentions:
Scoring 16 points = 80%
Gfamily
Bravo!

Scoring 17 points = 85%
Rob
Bravo! Bravo!

And now.. (drum roll please) here is your Champion!
Scoring 18 points = 90%
KT4HX
Huzzah! Huzzah!

===
Answers, stats, comments…

1. The above image depicts the western end of which constellation? (1)
Hydra, 3/12 correct. The perfect snake head complete with fangs, fun to check it out with binoculars.

2. Who was the last American astronaut to fly an entirely solo orbital mission? (1)
Gordon Cooper, 4/12 correct. The last to orbit of the original Mercury 7 astronauts..

3. Which planet of the Solar System has the shortest period of rotation? (1)
Jupiter, 9/12 correct. Just under 10 hours.

4. The Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) lies within which constellation? (1)
Cancer, 11/12 correct. Great view in binoculars these evenings.

5. An altazimuth mount enables a telescope to track celestial objects with a single axis motion. (1)
False, 10/12 correct. It takes an equatorial mount to track an object with a single axis motion.

6. What is the English term for a Russian space traveler? (1)
Cosmonaut, 12/12 correct. Easiest question.

7. What is the English term for a Chinese space traveler? (2)
Taikonaut, 6/12 correct.

8. About how many full Moon angular sizes would it take to fit between Merak and Dubhe, the “pointer” stars of the Big Dipper? (2)
11, 3/12 correct. The Moon is about half a degree wide, and there are about 5.5 degrees between the Pointers.

9. Who designed the first achromatic telescope eyepiece? (2)
Carl Kellner, 7/12 correct. Invented the Kellner eyepiece in 1849 which are still sold with inexpensive telescopes.

10. As seen from Earth, a variable star periodically triples its light output. By how much does the apparent magnitude change? (2)
1.19, 6/12 correct.

11. Who was the first woman to be appointed director of the Royal Greenwich Observatory? (3)
Margaret Burbridge, 6/12 correct. Someone suggested this question to me last year.

12. In an H-R Diagram, stellar luminosities are plotted against temperatures. What name does the letter H stand for? (full credit only for correct spelling) (3)
Hertzsprung, 7/12 spelled right, 2 misspelled for 2 points.

Feedback, comments, etc.
Could observational questions be less northern hemisphere biassed? If they were restricted to equatorial constellations then it's fair to all. I can't see the big dipper from the southern hemisphere so my answer was a pure guess.
Point taken. Mostly my quizzes are aimed at my local Northern California groups, but I'll keep that in mind.

See ya next month!
Ray Howard

Well done Alan! Excellent score.

Regards

Graeme