space – Quizology Online

Little Sparrow—Answers

Here are the answers to my earlier post.

See question 5. Artist pression of ESA’s *Gaia* satellite observing the Milky Way, with a background image of the sky compiled from data from more than 1.8 billion stars.
Image ESA via Wikipedia

One

… was dead: to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that.

Published for the first time on this date in 1843, what begins with the quote above and whose surname is missing from the start?

Answer: A Christmas Carol; Marley

A Christmas Carol, a novella by Charles Dickens, recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation after visits from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. The novella, published in 1843, was inspired by Dickens’s experiences and the Victorian revival of Christmas traditions. It has never been out of print and has been widely adapted.

Two

Born on this day in 1906, what Soviet leader, along with US President Jimmy Carter, signed the unsuccessful SALT II treaty in Vienna in 1979?

Answer: Leonid Brezhnev

Leonid Brezhnev, a Soviet statesman, led the Soviet Union for 18 years. He prioritised foreign and military affairs, implementing the Brezhnev Doctrine to justify Soviet intervention in Czechoslovakia and expanding the Soviet military-industrial complex. While achieving parity with the US in nuclear weapons and space programmes, Brezhnev’s focus on defence led to economic decline, impacting agriculture, consumer goods and healthcare.

Three

A singer born in Paris, France, on 19 December 1915, came to be known as ‘little sparrow’. Who was she?

Answer: Edith Piaf

Edith Piaf, a French singer and actress, gained international fame for her interpretation of the chanson. Her life, marked by tragedy and hardship, deeply influenced her music, which often reflected themes of loss and love. Despite her struggles with health and addiction, Piaf’s powerful voice and dramatic style captivated audiences, leaving a lasting legacy.

Four

On this day in 1606, Christopher Newport, in command of the Discovery, the Godspeed, and the Susan Constant, sailed from London, England. The following April, they entered a bay—the largest estuary in the United States—and went on to set up the first permanent English settlement in North America. What was the name of the bay and the colony?

Answer: Chesapeake Bay; Jamestown

Newport, a member of the colony’s governing body, led a total five voyages between Virginia and England, bringing supplies and settlers to the Jamestown colony between 1606 and 1611.

Five

In 2013, the European Space Agency launched a spacecraft that could be described as a space telescope or astronomical observatory. Named after the personification of Earth in Greek mythology, what was its name?

Answer: Gaia

Gaia, the Greek personification of Earth, is the mother of Uranus, Pontus, the Titans, Cyclopes and Giants.

From 27 July 2014 to 15 January 2025, Gaia has made more than three trillion observations of two billion stars and other objects throughout our Milky Way galaxy and beyond, mapping their motions, luminosity, temperature and composition. Gaia’s extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map will provide the data needed to tackle an enormous range of important questions related to the origin, structure and evolutionary history of our galaxy.

— European Space Agency

100 Not Out—Answers

Caractacus Potts (Dick Van Dyke) *Chitty Chitty Bang Bang* (1968).

One

Born on this day in 1925, an actor portrayed Caractacus Potts in a 1968 film adaptation of an Ian Fleming story. Who is he and what was the film?

Answer: Dick Van Dyke; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Happy Birthday! The post title refers to Dick Van Dyke being 100 today.

Dick Van Dyke, born in 1925, is an American actor and comedian renowned for his charm and physical comedy. He began his show business career after a failed advertising venture, performing in nightclubs and on television before making his Broadway debut in 1959. Van Dyke starred in the hit musical Bye Bye Birdie, winning a Tony Award, which led to his iconic role in The Dick Van Dyke Show, earning him three Emmys. He also starred in films like Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and returned to television with various shows and TV movies. His career highlights include roles in Dick Tracy, Diagnosis Murder, and Night at the Museum. Van Dyke received a Television Academy Hall of Fame induction in 1995 and a Kennedy Centre Honour in 2021.

Two

The first European to sight the South Island of New Zealand did so on this day. Who was he, and in what century did this sighting occur?

Answer: Abel Tasman; 17th century (1642)

Abel Janszoon Tasman, a Dutch explorer, was the first European to reach New Zealand and Tasmania. His 1642 expedition, commissioned by the Dutch East India Company, aimed to discover new trade routes and establish trade relations with native inhabitants. Despite a violent encounter with the Māori people, Tasman’s voyage paved the way for future colonisation.

Three

In 1956, the film Anastasia was released in America. This drama marked the Hollywood comeback of an actress following a scandal involving an extramarital affair. Her performance earned her the Best Actress Oscar. Who was she?

Answer: Ingrid Bergman

After years working exclusively in Europe following her highly publicised affair with Roberto Rossellini, this film marked a Hollywood comeback for Ingrid Bergman. Her performance earned her, among others, the Academy Award for Best Actress, the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture.

Four

The final moonwalk or EVA of the Apollo programme occurred on this day in 1972. Which Apollo mission was this and who were the two astronauts on the Moon?

Answer: Apollo 17; Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt

Apollo 17, the final Apollo mission, launched on 7 December 1972 and concluded on 19 December 1972. Commander Eugene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt were the last humans to walk on the Moon, landing in the Taurus-Littrow Valley. They conducted experiments, collected samples, and travelled 19 miles in their lunar rover before returning to Earth. Cernan, the last person to date to stand on the Moon, said before returning to the lunar module, ‘We shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17’.

Taylor Swift at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.
Image iHeartRadioCA via Wikipedia

Five

What singer-songwriter was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania on this day in 1989?

Answer: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift, a renowned American singer-songwriter known for her autobiographical songwriting and artistic reinventions, made history in 2024 by becoming the first artist to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year four times and breaking the record for the highest-grossing concert tour. She is the highest-grossing live music artist and one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having won numerous awards, including 14 Grammys, and is the first individual from the arts to be named Time Person of the Year.

100 Not Out

One

Born on this day in 1925, an actor portrayed Caractacus Potts in a 1968 film adaptation of an Ian Fleming story. Who is he and what was the film?

Two

The first European to sight the South Island of New Zealand did so on this day. Who was he, and in what century did this sighting occur?

Three

Four

The final moonwalk or EVA of the Apollo programme occurred on this day in 1972. Which Apollo mission was this and who were the two astronauts on the Moon?

Five

What singer-songwriter was born in West Reading, Pennsylvania on this day in 1989?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Who, What, When, Where or Why—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

Apollo 13 launches from Kennedy Space Center, April 11, 1970.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Answer: Jim Lovell

James Lovell was an American astronaut, naval aviator, and engineer. He flew on four space missions, including Apollo 8 and Apollo 13, and was the first person to fly into space four times. Lovell received numerous awards and honours for his contributions to space exploration.

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Answer: Meteorite

Ann Elizabeth Fowler Hodges, the first documented person struck by a meteorite and survive, was injured when a meteorite fragment crashed through her roof and hit her while she napped on 30 November 1954.

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Answer: (iii) 13th Century

The Mongol Empire, founded by Genghis Khan in 1206, eventually covering some 9 million square miles (23 million square km) from the Pacific Ocean to the Danube River and the Persian Gulf by the late 13th century.

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Answer: (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador

Chimborazo, a stratovolcano in Ecuador, is the highest mountain in the country and the 39th-highest peak in the Andes. Despite not being the tallest mountain on Earth, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre due to its equatorial location on the planet’s equatorial bulge.

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Answer: Abdication crisis; George V, Edward VIII and George VI

On the death of George V his eldest son became Edward VIII but he abdicated only 326 days later and his younger brother Albert became king as George VI.
Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor, proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, an American divorcée, led to a constitutional crisis and his abdication in favour of his brother, George VI. After his abdication, Edward, who was made Duke of Windsor by the new king, married Simpson and they lived in France until his death in 1972.

Who, What, When, Where or Why

Today’s questions are simply either Who, What, When, Where or Why.

An Apollo launch from Kennedy Space Center.
Image Wikipedia

One

Who was the only astronaut on the Apollo program to be the only person to fly to the Moon twice without landing?

Two

What uninvited stony visitor injured Elizabeth Hodges while she napped on her couch in Alabama in 1954?

Three

When was the Mongol Empire founded by Genghis Khan, was it (i) 11th Century; (ii) 12th Century; (iii) 13th Century

Four

Where on the planet is the farthest point from the Earth’s centre. Is it the summit of (i) Chimborazo, Ecuador; (ii) Eyjafjallajökull, Iceland or (iii) Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica?

Five

Why was 1936 a year of three kings in the United Kingdom, and who were they?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

The Smoke That Thunders—Answers

Here are the answers to the earlier posed questions.

All of these questions are related to today, November 16th.

José Saramago, 2001.
Image Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images via Encyclopædia Britannica

One

José Saramago, the novelist pictured above, won the Nobel Prize for Literature for his extensive body of work including O Evangelho Segundo Jesus Cristo (The Gospel According to Jesus Christ). What nationality was he?

Answer: Portuguese

Born in 1922, Portuguese novelist José Saramago, a Nobel Prize winner, grew up in poverty. He worked various jobs including mechanic journalist and translator before achieving international fame with novels like Memorial do convento (English title Baltasar and Blimunda) and O evangelho segundo Jesus Cristo (The Gospel According to Jesus Christ). His subversive perspectives on historic events and critique of institutions like the Catholic Church, often set against historical backdrops, earned him both acclaim and controversy. This led to his self-imposed exile in the Canary Islands after the Portuguese government censored his work.

Two

On this day, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act was signed authorising the construction of a pipeline across Alaska. Which US President signed it and what communities are at either end?

Answer: Richard Nixon; Prudhoe Bay and Valdez

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, built to transport oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, was constructed in response to the 1968 oil discovery on Alaska’s North Slope. Environmental concerns led to design modifications, including elevated sections to prevent permafrost thawing and wildlife crossings. Construction, completed between 1975 and 1977, faced challenges due to extreme cold and permafrost. Despite initial mechanical issues, subsequent oil spills, and incidents of oil leakage, the pipeline remains operational and has shipped over 17 billion barrels of oil since 1977.

Three

Who is this Canadian singer, born on 16 November 1964, as pictured in 2010?

Answer: Diana Krall

Diana Krall, a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, is renowned for her contralto vocals and has sold over 15 million albums worldwide. She holds the record for the most albums debuting at number one on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart and has won numerous awards, including two Grammys and eight Junos.

Four

With NASA’s ___ campaign, we are exploring the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.

— NASA

The above is taken from a NASA website and describes a program which is named after the twin sister of Apollo. What is this name which has been omitted from the above quote?

Answer: Artemis

Artemis, the Greek goddess of wild animals, the hunt, vegetation, chastity, and childbirth, was the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. Apollo and Artemis were respectively personifications of the Sun and the Moon Her worship varied across regions, reflecting her diverse roles as a huntress, protector of young animals, and goddess of nature and fertility. While poets emphasised her chastity and love for the hunt, Greek sculpture often depicted her in a more gentle and graceful manner. She was also a protector of young children and a patron of healing, particularly among women and children. Widely venerated, her worship spread throughout ancient Greece, with her great temple at Ephesus being one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Five

On this day in 1855, an explorer became the first European to witness Mosi-oa-Tunya, a now-renowned World Heritage Site. What name did he give it?

Answer: Victoria Falls

The Zambezi River does not gather speed as it nears the drop, the approach being signaled only by the mighty roar and characteristic veil of mist for which the Kalolo-Lozi people named the falls Mosi-oa-Tunya (“The Smoke That Thunders”).

— Encyclopædia Britannica

Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls, located on the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is a spectacular waterfall twice as wide and deep as Niagara Falls. The falls plunge over a sheer precipice into a chasm, creating a dramatic gorge and the Boiling Pot pool. In 1855, British explorer David Livingstone was the first European to see the falls which he named after Great Britain’s Queen Victoria. The surrounding national parks offer diverse wildlife and recreational facilities, and the area was designated a World Heritage site in 1989.

The Smoke That Thunders

All of these questions are related to today, November 16th.

One

Two

On this day, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act was signed authorising the construction of a pipeline across Alaska. Which US President signed it and what communities are at either end?

Three

Who is this Canadian singer, born on 16 November 1964, as pictured in 2010?

Four

With NASA’s ___ campaign, we are exploring the Moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars. We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the Moon.

— NASA

The above is taken from a NASA website and describes a program which is named after the twin sister of Apollo. What is this name which has been omitted from the above quote?

Five

On this day in 1855, an explorer became the first European to witness Mosi-oa-Tunya, a now-renowned World Heritage Site. What name did he give it?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions I posted earlier.

Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

Two-colour gold, guilloché enamel, brilliant and rose-cut diamonds. It was given to King Edward VII by his favourite mistress, Mrs George Keppel, in 1908.
Image Royal Collection Trust

One

‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

— Tatler, 11 December 2024

This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

Answer: Camilla Shand (later Parker Bowles) and Charles, Prince of Wales (now Queen Camilla and King Charles III)

Alice Keppel, a mistress of King Edward VII, gifted him a Fabergé cigarette case symbolising her love. History has somewhat repeated itself: Alice Keppel’s great-granddaughter is none other than Queen Camilla, who was, of course, in a relationship with Prince Charles when he was married to Princess Diana. Queen Camilla, is married to King Charles III.

Two

Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

Answer: Till Dawn (Stay With Me Till Dawn)

Her debut album Welcome to the Cruise included the single that peaked at number 8 in Australia and 16 in the UK. It also reached number 47 on the US Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.

Three

The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

Answer: Uranus

Uranus has 13 planetary rings, discovered in 1977. Their complexity is between Saturn’s extensive rings and Jupiter and Neptune’s simpler systems. In 1789, William Herschel reported observing rings. However modern astronomers are divided on whether he could have seen them as they are very dark and faint.

Four

This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

Answer: Antonine Wall

The Antonine Wall, a turf fortification built by the Romans in Scotland, spanned 63 kilometres and was the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire. Constructed under Emperor Antoninus Pius, it was abandoned after eight years and its remains are less evident than Hadrian’s Wall due to weathering. It is now under the care of Historic Environment Scotland and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Five

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

— National Geographic, September 26, 2019

Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

Answer: 76

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event, 66 million years ago, wiped out 76% of species, including all non-avian dinosaurs, due to an asteroid impact near Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula.

My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress

Today’s questions are simply a random mix.

One

‘My great-grandmother was your great-great grandfather’s mistress,’ she is said to have joked. ‘So how about it?’

— Tatler, 11 December 2024

This quote was reportedly made in the second half of the twentieth century by one Briton speaking to another. Who is the person speaking, and who is listening?

Two

Stay With Me ___ was a 1979 single by Judie Tzuke. What two words complete the title?

Three

The rings of ___, comprising 13 planetary rings, were discovered in 1977. Which body in the Solar System has been omitted from the previous sentence?

Antonine Wall near Bar Hill showing ditch.
Image Wikipedia

Four

This wall, which began construction in AD 142, served as the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire while garrisoned. What wall is this and in which modern country is this wall located?

Five

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event is the most recent mass extinction and the only one definitively connected to a major asteroid impact. Some ___ percent of all species on the planet, including all nonavian dinosaurs, went extinct.

— National Geographic, September 26, 2019

Complete the quote by selecting one of these percentages: 43, 61 or 76.

Walking on the Moon—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posted earlier.

The questions all relate to today, November 14th.

Alan L Bean prepares to step onto the lunar surface.
Image Wikipedia

One

Apollo 12, launched on 14 November 1969, became the second mission to land on the Moon. Among the three-man crew, who landed and walked on the lunar surface, was which of these: Mr Bean, Mr Hyde or Mr Spock?

Answer: Mr. Bean

Alan L Bean. Apollo 12’s crew consisted of Charles Conrad Jr., Richard F Gordon Jr and Alan L Bean. Alan Bean, an American astronaut, piloted the lunar module during the mission. He made two walks on the lunar surface, totalling eight hours, and later commanded the Skylab 3 mission. After retiring from NASA, Bean became a painter specialising in spaceflight themes.

Two

Is it true or false that Hannibal the Great was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE?

Answer: False

It was Alexander the Great who was crowned pharaoh of Egypt today in 332 BCE. In Egypt, Alexander was portrayed as the son of Nectanebo II, the final pharaoh before Persian conquest. His victory over Darius was celebrated as Egypt’s salvation, demonstrating that Egypt remained under Egyptian rule.

Three

In Moby-Dick—which was published in the US today in 1851—Captain Ahab offers a gold coin as a reward for spotting the white whale. What real-world coin does he nail to the mast — and from which country does it come?

Answer: A Spanish gold doubloon from Ecuador.

The coin is a gold Spanish doubloon, specifically a sixteen-dollar piece from Ecuador. Its design includes symbols of the sun, zodiac signs, and the Andean mountains, which the crew interprets differently—each seeing their own meaning in it. The coin thus mirrors Ahab’s monomania and the novel’s larger theme of how individuals project their own beliefs and destinies onto the same object or event.

Eugene B. Ely flies his Curtiss pusher airplane from USS *Birmingham* (Scout Cruiser # 2), in Hampton Roads, Virginia, during the afternoon of Nov. 14 1910.
Image General Aviation News

Four

On this date, Eugene Burton Ely achieved the first aircraft takeoff from a ship. In which decade did this happen?

Answer: 1910s

In 1910, Ely took off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss Pusher aircraft and safely made landfall. A year later he made the first shipboard landing, complete with hooks attached to his Pusher to catch sandbagged ropes to abbreviate the landing roll.

Five

In the television series MASH*, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Blake, played by McLean Stevenson, was discharged and sent home in the final episode of Season 3. What shocking event was revealed at the end of that episode?

Answer: His plane was shot down over the Sea of Japan, with no survivors.

McLean Stevenson was born on this day in 1927. The twist ending of the episode ‘Abyssinia, Henry’ (1975) was kept secret from most of the cast until filming; their shocked reactions during Radar’s announcement were genuine. It marked one of the most memorable and emotional moments in television history.