Tag: space

Spin, trials and unlucky 13

Apollo 13 mission insignia. Wikipedia
  1. The trial of Martin Luther over his teachings and efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church began on 17 April 1521 during the…
    • Diet of Weeds
    • Diet of Woods
    • Diet of Worms
  2. On this day in 1972, Muttiah Muralitharan, cricketer, was born in…
    • Bonbon
    • Kandy
    • Toffey
  3. Henry Ian Cusick, born today in 1967, who is best known for his role as Desmond Hume in Lost, is described in Wikipedia as…
    • Argentinian-Welsh
    • Chilean-Irish
    • Peruvian-Scottish
  4. The damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft returned to Earth safely today in 1970; the commander was…
    • Fred W. Haise Jr.
    • John “Jack” L. Swigert Jr.
    • James A. Lovell Jr.
  5. Anneli Jäätteenmäki took office on 17 April 2003 as the first female prime minister of…
    • Fiji
    • Finland
    • France

Good luck! I will post the answers later today

An A to Z Cornucopia of Trivia. Part I | Answers

Some trivia related to the letters A to E.

Melvyn Bragg (Official photo of Lord Bragg), 2018. Winner of the Bad Sex in Fiction Award 1993 for A Time to Dance. See question 2. Wikipedia
  1. (A) Aardvark—The Raccoons is a Canadian animated series about Bert, Ralph and Melissa Raccoon, who thwart the schemes of Cyril Sneer, an industrialist aardvark, to destroy their forest home. The series ran from 1985 to 1992 and was created by Kevin Gillis.
  2. (B) Bad Sex in Fiction award—The Literary Review has presented the Bad Sex in Fiction Award annually since 1993 to the author of the worst sex scene description in a novel. The award, established by Rhoda Koenig and Auberon Waugh, aims to discourage crude and tasteless sexual descriptions in modern novels.
    Colossus of Rhodes. Wikipedia
  3. (C) Colossus—One of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek sun god Helios, was erected in 280 BCE to celebrate Rhodes’ successful defence against Demetrius I of Macedon. Standing at 33 metres tall, it was the tallest statue in the ancient world until it collapsed in an earthquake in 226 BCE.
    Dylan Thomas, 1952. Wikipedia
  4. (D) Dylan Thomas—Do not go gentle into that good night is a villanelle* by Dylan Thomas, written in 1947 and published in 1951. The poem, about resisting death, entered the public domain in 2024.
    *Villanelle is a pastoral or lyrical poem of nineteen lines, with only two rhymes throughout, and some lines repeated (Oxford English Dictionary).
  5. (E) Europa—The Galilean moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, are Jupiter’s four largest moons. Discovered by Galileo in 1610, they were the first objects found to orbit a planet other than Earth, challenging the geocentric Ptolemaic world system. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, surpassing Mercury in size. Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons.
Europa. Wikipedia

An A to Z Cornucopia of Trivia. Part I

Some trivia related to the letters A to E.

Seven Wonders of the World. Wikipedia
  1. (A) An animated television series which began in the 1980s featured Cyril Sneer. Which of these best describes Cyril?
    • Aardvark
    • Ass
    • Anaconda
  2. (B) The following works of literature won what award in the year indicated. 1993: Melvyn Bragg, A Time to Dance; 2007: Norman Mailer, The Castle in the Forest and 2019: Didier Decoin, The Office of Gardens and Ponds and John Harvey, Pax?
    • Bad Sex in Fiction award
    • Balint Balassi Memorial Sword Award
    • Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year
  3. (C) Complete this: the ___ of Rhodes was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?
    • Colosseum
    • Colossus
    • Colostrum
  4. (D) Which poet wrote the line: “Do not go gentle into that good night”?
    • DH Lawrence
    • Dorothy Parker
    • Dylan Thomas
  5. (E) The smallest of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter is named what?
    • Eirene
    • Epimetheus
    • Europa
Jupiter. Wikipedia

Good luck! The answers will be posted later

Masters to Mars | Answers

This note was issued on 14 July 2005, the opening day of the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews, and celebrated the remarkable career of Jack Nicklaus, who won the Open three times, including twice at St Andrews. It was the first British banknote to feature a living non-royal person. Wikipedia
  1. Six—Nicklaus won six Masters, the last being in 1986. Nicknamed “the Golden Bear”, he won 117 professional tournaments, including a record 18 major championships, and is considered one of the greatest golfers of all time. This note was issued on 14 July 2005, the opening day of the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews, and celebrated the remarkable career of Jack Nicklaus, who won the Open three times, including twice at St Andrews. It was the first British banknote to feature a living non-royal person.
    Mars Odyssey Patch. Wikipedia
  2. 24 October 2001—The Mars Odyssey orbiter, launched in 2001, studies water, ice, geology, and radiation on Mars and acts as a communication relay. The mission was planned to last 32 months but has been expanded by more than 20 years and is expected to end later in 2025.
  3. Geneva, Switzerland—The World Health Organisation (WHO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that coordinates international public health responses. Established in 1948, the WHO promotes health and safety, provides technical assistance, sets international health standards, and advocates for universal health care coverage. The organisation is governed by the World Health Assembly and funded primarily by member states and private donors.
    Francis Ford Coppola. Wikipedia
  4. Francis Ford Coppola—an American filmmaker known for his work in the New Hollywood movement. He is celebrated for directing films like The Godfather trilogy, Apocalypse Now and The Conversation, which have earned him numerous awards and accolades.
  5. Albania—Italy invaded Albania in 1939, leading to the creation of an Italian protectorate and the exile of King Zog. During World War II, Italy’s ambitions for Greater Albania, encompassing Albanian-majority regions, were realised until Nazi Germany took control in 1943. Albanian partisans liberated it from Nazi occupation in 1944.
King Zog. Wikipedia

Masters to Mars

All of the events below happened today, 7 April, in various years.

Artist’s rendering, from NASA, of the Mars Odyssey spacecraft, in mission configuration. Wikipedia
  1. Jack Nicklaus won his first Masters tournament on 7 April 1963 at the age of 23; how many Masters titles did he win during his career?
    • Four
    • Five
    • Six
  2. The Mars Odyssey spacecraft was launched today in 2001. When did it reach Mars orbit?
    • 15 July 2001
    • 24 October 2001
    • 1 February 2002
  3. On this day in 1948, the World Health Organization, a specialised agency of the UN, was formally established. Where is it based?
    • Geneva, Switzerland
    • New York, US
    • Vienna, Austria
  4. Born today in 1939, who directed the 1979 film Apocalypse Now?
    • Francis Ford Coppola
    • Wolfgang Petersen
    • Martin Scorsese
  5. On 7 April 1939, Benito Mussolini made ___ a protectorate, forcing King Zog I into exile and replacing him with King Victor Emmanuel II. What missing country completes this sentence?
    • Abyssinia
    • Albania
    • Armenia
WHO Logo. Wikipedia

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Odd One Out | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

Moon. Wikipedia
  1. Moon—The Moon, Earth’s satellite, is different from planets like Mercury and Mars. While the Moon orbits the Earth, Mercury and Mars, like Earth, orbit the Sun.
    Lotus Cars logo. Wikipedia
  2. Emira—it has a petrol engine and is not electric, unlike the Eletre and Emeya. Lotus Group is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles. It comprises Lotus Cars, Lotus Tech and Lotus Engineering. Currently majority-owned by Geely, Lotus has a history of Formula One racing and producing iconic cars like the Lotus Seven and Elise.
    Sargasso Sea.
    1891 Krummel Petermanns lores/Wikipedia
  3. Sargasso—aka Sargasso Sea is a marine ecosystem whereas the others are both land-based. The Sargasso Sea, a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents, is distinguished by its brown Sargassum seaweed and calm blue water. The Gobi Desert, the sixth largest desert globally, is a vast cold desert and grassland area located in northern China and southern Mongolia. In contrast, the Atacama Desert in Chile is renowned as the driest nonpolar desert, characterised by its extreme aridity due to a temperature inversion, the rain shadow effect created by two mountain ranges, and the influence of the Humboldt ocean current.
    Poster for the 1935 film A Night at the Opera. Wikipedia
  4. A Kind of Magic—A Day at the Races, like Queen’s previous album, A Night at the Opera, takes its name from Marx Brothers films. On the other hand, although A Kind of Magic has a film connection, it is not to a film title; it takes its name from a Connor MacLeod quote from the film Highlander: “Hey, it’s a kind of magic!”
    The Devil’s Alternative by Frederick Forsyth Wikipedia
    Deception Point by Dan Brown Wikipedia
    Digital Fortress by Dan Brown Wikipedia
  5. The Devil’s Alternative—was written by British novelist Frederick Forsyth. Deception Point and Digital Fortress are two stand-alone novels by Dan Brown which, unlike The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons etc, do not feature Robert Langdon.
  6. Botswana—Botswana is in Southern Africa while the others are in Asia—Brunei is in Southeast Asia and Bhutan in South Asia. They are all small countries and both Botswana and Bhutan are landlocked while Brunei has a coastline.
Sub-regional map of the World.
The UN geoscheme/Wikipedia

Odd One Out

Solar System. Wikipedia
  1. Which of these is the odd one out when it comes to the solar system?
    • Mercury
    • Mars
    • Moon
  2. These are all models of Lotus cars, but which is the odd one out?
    • Eletre
    • Emeva
    • Emira
  3. Of these three large ecosystems, one is fundamentally different from the others. Which is the odd one out?
    • Atacama
    • Gobi
    • Sargasso
  4. One of these was NOT a Marx Brothers film while two were; which is the odd one out?
    • A Day at the Races
    • A Kind of Magic
    • A Night at the Opera
  5. One of these novels was NOT written by Dan Brown, the author of The Da Vinci Code, whereas the others were; which one is the odd one out?
    • Deception Point
    • The Devil’s Alternative
    • Digital Fortress
  6. In continental terms, which of these countries is the odd one out?
    • Bhutan
    • Botswana
    • Brunei

Good Luck! I will post the answers later today.

Marx Brothers from top to bottom: Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Zeppo. Wikipedia

Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Golf-Lima | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown in bold below.

Cairn marking the first Open Championship, Prestwick Golf Club.
  1. Prestwick—The first Open Championship, held in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, marked the beginning of modern golfing history. Willie Park won the inaugural event, beating Old Tom Morris by two strokes. Prestwick hosted the first 12 Open Championships and a total of 24, second only to St Andrews.
  2. Lily and James—James and Lily Potter, parents of Harry, were members of the Order of the Phoenix. James was an Animagus and co-author of the Marauder’s Map, while Lily was a Muggle-born witch. Both were killed by Voldemort.
    The station pictured from the SpaceX Crew Dragon. Wikipedia
  3. 23 countries—Astronauts/cosmonauts from the following countries have visited the ISS; the number of visits by each nation is also shown. (Information obtained from NASA at 15:15GMT 30 March 2025). United States (168 visitors), Russia (62), Japan (11), Canada (9), Italy (6), France (4,), Germany (4), Saudi Arabia (2), Sweden (2), United Arab Emirates (2), Belarus (1), Belgium (1), Brazil (1), Denmark (1), Great Britain (1), Israel (1), Kazakhstan (1), Malaysia (1), Netherlands (1), South Africa (1), South Korea (1), Spain (1), Turkey (1).
    Jabberwocky. Wikipedia
  4. Animal—the jabberwock is depicted as a dragon-like monster with various features, including a serpentine neck, rabbit-like teeth, spidery talons and bat-like wings.
    Koala distribution in Australia. Wikipedia
  5. South Australia—The koala’s range spans 1,000,000 km2 across eastern and southeastern Australia, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
  6. City of Kings—Named Ciudad de los Reyes by the Spanish under Francisco Pizarro, the name was chosen of the feast of the Epiphany, the coming of the Magi—the three
In 1540, five years after the city of Lima was founded, the first church built by Francisco Pizarro was inaugurated. Wikipedia

Mysteries and Meanings: A Trivial Journey Through Golf–Lima

Willie Park Sr., the first “Champion Golfer of the Year”, wearing the Challenge Belt, the winner’s prize at The Open until 1870. Wikipedia
  1. G is for golf. The first Open Championship played at St Andrews in 1873, was actually the 13th championship in the competition’s history. Where had the first twelve Open Championships taken place?
    • Carnoustie, Angus
    • Musselburgh, East Lothian
    • Prestwick, Ayrshire
  2. H is for Harry. In the books by J.K. Rowling, who were Harry Potter’s parents?
    • Molly and Arthur
    • Lily and James
    • Rose and Hugo
  3. I is for International Space Station (ISS). By March 2025, individuals from how many countries had visited the ISS?
    • 9 countries
    • 16 countries
    • 23 countries
  4. J is for Jabberwocky. Jabberwocky is a nonsense poem included in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass, the follow-up to Alice in Wonderland. What word best describes a jabberwock?
  5. K is for koala. In what parts of Australia are koalas native in the 21st century?
    • Northern Territory
    • South Australia
    • Western Australia
  6. L is for Lima. The Spanish founded the city now known as Lima, the capital city of Peru, in 1535 but their chosen name quickly fell into disuse. What, in English, was this chosen name?
    • City of Emeralds
    • City of Kings
    • Çity of the Sun

Good luck! I will post the answers later today.

Ups and Downs! | Answers

E.V. Haughwout Building, 488-492 Broadway, New York City.
Wikipedia
  1. Steam—The E.V. Haughwout Building, NYC installed the world’s first successful passenger elevator in 1857. The steam-powered hydraulic lift, designed by Elisha Graves Otis, was a novelty that attracted customers to the five storey department store.
  2. Akira Kurosawa—Akira Kurosawa, a Japanese filmmaker, directed 30 films over seven decades. His bold and dynamic style, influenced by Western cinema, earned him international acclaim. Notable works include Rashomon, Seven Samurai and Red Beard.
  3. President Ronald Reagan—The Strategic Defence Initiative (SDI), introduced by President Reagan in 1983, was a missile defence system designed to protect the US from Soviet ICBMs using various platforms. Known as “Star Wars,” it faced criticism for its technical feasibility and potential to destabilise the MAD doctrine and escalate the arms race. Although the programme ended in 1993, some elements were revived in 2019 by the Space Development Agency.
  4. Ben-Hur (1959)—Films with the most awards: Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997) and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) each earned 11 Academy Awards. (Wikipedia)
  5. 2001—Mir, the first modular space station, was launched in 1986 and operated for 15 years. It served as a microgravity research laboratory for experiments in biology, physics, astronomy and more. Mir held records for the longest continuous human presence in space and the longest single human spaceflight until surpassed by the ISS.
Mir’s re-entry into the atmosphere over Fiji, 2001.
Satobs