Quizology.Online

Tag: astronomy

  • Sailing to Philadelphia—Answers

    The answers to my questions from earlier are posted below.

    A boat load of stray cargo to amuse you today.

    Blue whale mother and young.
    Image Whale Expeditions.

    One

    What is the young of a whale called?

    Answer: Calf

    The term ’calf’, when referring to a young whale, is derived from the same root as the word for a young cow, which comes from Old English cealf and Proto-Germanic kalbam. This usage has been extended to marine mammals, where the adults are called bulls and cows, and the young are referred to as calves/calves.

    Two

    What were the first names of Mason and Dixon, after whom the Mason-Dixon Line is named?

    Answer: Charles and Jeremiah.

    The Mason-Dixon Line, surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon from 1763 to 1767, initially served to resolve a land dispute between the Penn and Calvert families by marking the boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania. It later became a symbolic boundary between slave and free states in the United States before the Civil War.

    Three

    What eight letter word means ‘the study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics’, and from what does the first three letters of the word ultimately derive?

    Answers: Sinology; Qin.

    The terms sinology and sinologist were coined around 1838, Sinae, in turn from the Greek Sinae, from the Arabic Sin—which ultimately derive from Qin, i.e. the Qin dynasty.
    — Wikipedia ultimately the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 3rd edition 1992): 1686.

    The astronomical seasons are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the sun. The equivalent meteorological seasons are also shown. This image is for the northern hemisphere.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    Four

    In the northern hemisphere, what astronomical season ends at the vernal equinox and what three months form the equivalent meteorological season?

    Answers: Astronomical winter; December, January and February.

    Astronomical winter starts with the Winter Solstice about December 21st in the northern hemisphere and ends with the Vernal Equinox about March 20th. Meteorological winter covers the months of December, January and February.

    Five

    Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

    The opening words of which English novel, first published in Florence Italy in 1928, are quoted above. What is the novel’s title and who is the author?

    Answer: Lady Chatterley’s Lover; D.H. Lawrence.

    Lady Chatterley’s Lover, D. H. Lawrence’s final novel, explores the relationship between a working-class man and an upper-class woman. The novel, influenced by Lawrence’s life and the story of Lady Ottoline Morrell, faced obscenity trials in the UK and US before becoming a bestseller. It was not published fully and openly in the UK until 1960.

    Sailing to Philadelphia – The Post Title

    The title refers to Mark Knopfler’s album from 2000, and its title track which was inspired by Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon, a novel about Mason and Dixon. The track features American singer-songwriter James Taylor.

    Sailing to Philadelphia

    Mark Knopfler

    I am Jeremiah Dixon
    I am a Geordie Boy
    A glass of wine with you, sir
    And the ladies I’ll enjoy 

    All Durham and Northumberland
    Is measured up by my own hand
    It was my fate from birth
    To make my mark upon the earth… 

    He calls me Charlie Mason
    A stargazer am I
    It seems that I was born
    To chart the evening sky 

    They’d cut me out for baking bread
    But I had other dreams instead
    This baker’s boy from the west country
    Would join the Royal Society… 

    We are sailing to Philadelphia
    A world away from the coaly Tyne
    Sailing to Philadelphia
    To draw the line
    The Mason-Dixon line 

    Now you’re a good surveyor, Dixon
    But I swear you’ll make me mad
    The West will kill us both
    You gullible Geordie lad 

    You talk of liberty
    How can America be free
    A Geordie and a baker’s boy
    In the forest of the Iroquois… 

    Now hold your head up, Mason
    See America lies there
    The morning tide has raised
    The capes of Delaware 

    Come up and feel the sun
    A new morning is begun
    Another day will make it clear
    Why your stars should guide us here… 

    We are sailing to Philadelphia
    A world away from the coaly Tyne
    Sailing to Philadelphia
    To draw the line
    The Mason-Dixon Line

    AZLyrics

  • Sailing to Philadelphia

    A boat load of stray cargo to amuse you today.

    Blue whale mother and young.
    Image Whale Expeditions.

    One

    What is the young of a whale called?

    Two

    What were the first names of Mason and Dixon, after whom the Mason-Dixon Line is named?

    Three

    What eight letter word means ‘the study of Chinese language, history, customs, and politics’, and from what does the first three letters of the word ultimately derive?

    Four

    In the northern hemisphere, what astronomical season ends at the vernal equinox and what three months form the equivalent meteorological season?

    Five

    Ours is essentially a tragic age, so we refuse to take it tragically.

    The opening words of which English novel, first published in Florence Italy in 1928, are quoted above. What is the novel’s title and who is the author?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • On the Road—Answers

    Here are the answers to my questions from earlier.

    Five questions all connected to today’s date, March 8th?

    Volkswagen Type 2 T1.
    Image Motorauthority.com

    One

    Today, production of the iconic Type 2 Volkswagen began. In which even-numbered year did this occur?

    Answer: 1950.

    The first generation Volkswagen Type 2, known as the Microbus or Splitscreen, was produced from 8 March 1950 to the end of 1967. Initially assembled in Wolfsburg from 1950 to 1956, production shifted to Hanover’s Transporter factory in 1956. Like the Beetle, it featured an 1100 cc air-cooled flat-four engine. Initially, only two models were available: the Kombi and the Commercial. The Microbus debuted in May 1950, followed by the Deluxe Microbus in June 1951. In its first year, 9,541 Type 2s were manufactured, marking the beginning of a popular and versatile vehicle line.

    Two

    In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar an hour and 40 minutes after takeoff and has never been seen again. Its fate remains a mystery. What was the departure city and destination of the flight?

    Answer: Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

    Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared on 8 March 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Despite extensive searches and investigations, the cause of the disappearance remains unknown, with theories ranging from hypoxia to hijacking. The disappearance led to safety recommendations and regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future. The official search concluded in January 2017 but was succeeded by a private search the following year that lasted six months.

    Three

    In 1979, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 1 witnessed volcanic eruption on the moon Io. Of what planet is Io a moon of?

    Answer: Jupiter.

    Io, Jupiter’s third largest moon, is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, featuring hundreds of volcanoes that can erupt lava fountains dozens of miles high. These powerful eruptions are sometimes visible with large telescopes on Earth, and leave Io’s surface with lakes of molten silicate lava. Slightly larger than Earth’s Moon, Io is about one-quarter the diameter of Earth.

    Four

    The compact disc was first demonstrated in 1979. Its subsequent development was the result of a collaboration between what two companies?

    Answer: Philips and Sony.

    The 1979 demonstration was made by Philips in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The compact disc, an evolution of LaserDisc technology, was developed through a collaboration between Philips and Sony in the late 1970s. The Red Book CD-DA standard, published in 1980, utilised Sony’s error correction system and Philips’ eight-to-fourteen modulation, leading to the CD’s commercial success and dominance in the home music market.

    Five

    The Battle of Guadalajara commenced in 1937. Which war was it a part of?

    Answer: Spanish Civil War.

    The Battle of Guadalajara (March 8–23, 1937) saw the Spanish Republican Army and International Brigades defeat the Italian and Nationalist forces attempting to encircle Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. The Italian Corps of Volunteer Troops led the Nationalist offensive, which began on March 8 but was halted by March 11. Renewed attacks were repelled between March 12 and 14. A Republican counter-offensive from March 18 to 23 was successful, largely due to superior Soviet armoured vehicles. Italian and Nationalist losses were 17,400, while Republicans suffered 6,258.

  • On the Road

    Five questions all connected to today’s date, March 8th?

    Volkswagen Type 2 T1.
    Image Motorauthority.com

    One

    Today, production of the iconic Type 2 Volkswagen began. In which even-numbered year did this occur?

    Two

    In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished from radar an hour and 40 minutes after takeoff and has never been seen again. Its fate remains a mystery. What was the departure city and destination of the flight?

    Three

    In 1979, the NASA spacecraft Voyager 1 witnessed volcanic eruption on the moon Io. Of what planet is Io a moon of?

    Four

    The compact disc was first demonstrated in 1979. Its subsequent development was the result of a collaboration between what two companies?

    Five

    The Battle of Guadalajara commenced in 1937. Which war was it a part of?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

    These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.

    Section of the border between East and West Germany.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?

    Answer: Winston Churchill.

    …an iron curtain has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe.
    — Winston Churchill, Former British prime minister, 5 March 1946, Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri

    The Iron Curtain was a political and physical boundary dividing Europe from 1945 to 1990/1991, symbolising the ideological divide between the Soviet-controlled Eastern Bloc and the Western nations. Popularised by Winston Churchill in 1946, the term originally described physical barriers but later encompassed broader cultural and ideological differences. The Iron Curtain largely dissolved in 1989-90 with the fall of communism.

    Two

    A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?

    Answer: Patsy Cline.

    Patsy Cline, born Virginia Patterson Hensley, was an American singer known for her crossover success from country to pop music. She achieved major hits like Walkin’ After Midnight and I Fall to Pieces, becoming a trailblazer for women in country music. Although, she died in a plane crash in 1963, her legacy endures through her influential music and posthumous recognition.

    Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray

    The post title, Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray, was the title of a Patsy Cline single from 1957.

    Three

    In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?

    Answer: Nicolaus Copernicus

    Copernicus’s book placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the centre, meaning the Earth and other planets orbited the Sun. The Index Librorum Prohibitorum, active from 1560 to 1966, was a list of publications deemed heretical or immoral by the Catholic Church. It banned thousands of books, including works by theologians, astronomers, philosophers, and unapproved Bible editions, to protect church members from potentially disruptive ideas.

    Four

    In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?

    Answers: Batavia; Dutch East Indies.

    Batavia, now known as Jakarta, was founded in 1619 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a strategic trading post in the Dutch colonial empire. It became the capital of the Dutch East Indies and was pivotal for their trade routes, especially in spices and other commodities. Following Indonesia’s declaration of independence in 1945, Batavia was renamed Jakarta. The city evolved from a colonial outpost to a major urban centre reflecting Indonesia’s diversity and is a bustling metropolis and the capital of Indonesia. It is a hub for culture, economy, and politics in Southeast Asia.

    Five

    In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?

    Answer: John Cabot.

    John Cabot was an Italian navigator and explorer.  His 1497 voyage to North America, commissioned by Henry VII, King of England, is the earliest known European exploration of the region’s coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century.  To commemorate the 500th anniversary of Cabot’s expedition, both Canadian and British governments declared Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland, as his first landing site. However, alternative locations have also been suggested.

  • Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray

    These are five questions which are related to today, February 5th.

    Section of the border between East and West Germany.
    Image Wikimedia Commons

    One

    The term ‘Iron Curtain’ described the political and physical boundary dividing Europe from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. Who popularised its use in a speech at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri, on 5 March 1946?

    Two

    A 31-year-old American country singer, who was born Virginia Patterson Hensley in Virginia, died in a 1963 plane crash in Tennessee. She had enjoyed an eight-year recording career, which included two number ones as well as other major chart hits. By what name was she known professionally?

    Three

    In 1616, 73 years after publication, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres (De revolutionibus orbium coelestium) was added to the Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum) by the Sacred Congregation of the Index. Which astronomer had written On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres?

    Four

    In 1942 Japanese forces captured what is now Jakarta, Indonesia. At that time, what was the city called and of where was it the capital?

    Five

    In 1496, England’s Henry VII issued letters patent authorising a navigator and his sons to explore unknown lands. This led to what is the earliest known exploration of the North American Atlantic coast since the Norse visits to Vinland in the eleventh century. Who was Henry VII’s explorer?

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

  • How’s the Weather—Answers

    Here are the answers to the questions I posed in my earlier post.

    These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

    W.S. Gifford.
    Library of Congress

    One

    The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

    Answer: 1920s; New York City, United States and London, United Kingdom

    On January 6 and 7, 1927, the first transatlantic telephone conversations took place between the United States and London. The initial test call, a casual conversation about the weather and travel distances, was followed by a formal ‘official’ inauguration call between AT&T President W.S. Gifford and Sir Evelyn P. Murray, head of the British General Post Office. This historic achievement marked the beginning of a new era of global communication. The previous day, the across-the-ocean ‘test’ conversation was also recorded for the purposes of history — ‘How’s the weather over in London?’. These calls travelled over 3,000 miles, via wire from New York City to a radio transmitter at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York, and then via radio waves—to a radio receiving station at Rugby, England, and finally via wire from there to London. The return conversation went from London via wire to Cupar, Scotland, from there via radio waves to a receiving station at Houlton, Maine, and finally via wire back to New York City. — Sourced from Library of Congress

    Two

    The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

    Answer: Galileo Galilei; 17th century

    The Galilean moons, discovered by Galileo in 1610, are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa. They are planetary-mass moons, larger than any dwarf planet, and Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System. Their discovery challenged the geocentric Ptolemaic world system and demonstrated the importance of the telescope.

    Three

    In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

    Answer: Japan

    Sakigake, a practice mission for Japan’s Suisei, flew by Comet Halley, providing data on the comet and Earth’s magnetic tail.

    Four

    What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

    Answer: CQD

    CQD, one of the first radio distress signals, was adopted by the Marconi International Marine Communication Company on 7 January 1904. SOS, agreed upon by the International Radio Telegraphic Convention in 1906, was merely a distinctive Morse code sequence of three dots, three dashes and three dots with no spaces between the letters. Although not an abbreviation, SOS is often associated with phrases like ‘save our souls’ or ‘save our ship’.

    Five

    In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

    1. Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
    2. Scanning text and graphics
    3. Translating from one input language to another output language

    Answer: 3. Translating from one input language to another output language

    The Georgetown–IBM experiment, a 1954 demonstration of machine translation, showcased the automatic translation of over sixty Russian sentences into English. Developed by Georgetown University and IBM, the experiment utilised a limited vocabulary and grammar rules, focusing on specific domains like politics and science. While the demonstration received widespread attention and encouraged government investment, progress in machine translation was slower than anticipated.

  • How’s the Weather

    These questions concerning various ’firsts’ also all relate to today’s date, January 7th.

    W.S. Gifford.
    Library of Congress

    One

    The first ‘official’ commercial transatlantic telephone service was established on this date. In what decade, and between what two cities, was the connection made?

    Two

    The first observation of the Galilean moons was made with two being visible. Who made this first observation and in what century was it made?

    Three

    In 1985, which country’s space agency launched the Sakigake spacecraft, the first deep space probe launched by a nation other than the United States or the Soviet Union?

    Four

    What first three-letter distress signal was established in 1904, only to be replaced two years later by SOS?

    Five

    In 1954, the Georgetown-IBM experiment at the head office of IBM in New York City was the first public demonstration of a computer doing which of these?

    1. Performing arithmetic and complex mathematical calculations
    2. Scanning text and graphics
    3. Translating from one input language to another output language

    Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.