Chatroom
 

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum > Space and Astronomy > Astronomy
Reload this Page The ULTIMATE astronomy quiz
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
Page 23 of 133 « First < 13202122 23 2425263373123 > Last »
 
LinkBack (1) Thread Tools Display Modes
  #661 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 03:48 PM
Melusine's Avatar
Melusine Melusine is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,289
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
I'll take this pause to remind everyone that it's almost time for the fourth annual Astronomy Challenge. You can study the first one, or the second one, or the third one if you want to prepare. The usual prizes.
I'd post it now, but I'm still stuck on one of the questions.
This is the prize?

Poster who finally has all the right answers will be awarded the Raison of Mental Merit, and a dinner, fro[m] me.

How do you swing that? Sounds like a good idea...I have a feeling Arneb and others will be very game for it. The winner can wear the "The 4th Annual Astronomy Challenge Raison of Mental Merit Award" in their signature. You will post it in Astronomy, won't you? (not that I'll bother trying, lol)
__________________
Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.
Reply With Quote
  #662 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 04:05 PM
A Thousand Pardons's Avatar
A Thousand Pardons A Thousand Pardons is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 2,955
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melusine
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
I'll take this pause to remind everyone that it's almost time for the fourth annual Astronomy Challenge. You can study the first one, or the second one, or the third one if you want to prepare. The usual prizes.
I'd post it now, but I'm still stuck on one of the questions.
This is the prize?

Poster who finally has all the right answers will be awarded the Raison of Mental Merit, and a dinner, fro[m] me.
Uh, as usual, you are the first one to notice that typo. However, the corrected version does not have an "m".
Quote:
You will post it in Astronomy, won't you? (not that I'll bother trying, lol)
All three previous Challenges have been moved to General Astronomy, and the fourth will appear there as well.
Reply With Quote
  #663 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 04:50 PM
Eroica's Avatar
Eroica Eroica is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Dubh Linn
Posts: 3,623
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arneb
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eroica
I was going to say Nucleus, but your hint seems to rule that out. ](*,)
Indeed -
The binocular object has no proper name (like "Hercules" ) ; it is usually referred to by its catalogue number.
The ultramicroscopic object can be construed as a "species", and the denomination of that species is identical to the catalogue designation of the object in our Northern hemisphere summer nightsky.

That was more than one hint
I was going to guess The Saturn Nebula, which is H IV I in Herschel's catalogue. (HIV I, the AIDS virus being the ultramicroscopic object), but it has a name and it's in the southern hemisphere! ](*,)

What about H IV 2? Dang, that's called "Hubble's Variable Nebula"! ](*,)
__________________
- Learn a lot teaching others.
Reply With Quote
  #664 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 05:11 PM
Grey's Avatar
Grey Grey is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,140
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melusine
This is the prize?

Poster who finally has all the right answers will be awarded the Raison of Mental Merit, and a dinner, fro[m] me.

How do you swing that?
I think the correction should be not "from", but "for". A Thousand Pardons has a dinner in the winner's honor. I expect the winner would probably be welcome to actually attend, but I believe that travel expenses are not included in the prize.
Reply With Quote
  #665 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 05:21 PM
Arneb's Avatar
Arneb Arneb is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aachen, Germany
Posts: 2,267
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eroica
I was going to guess The Saturn Nebula, which is H IV I in Herschel's catalogue. (HIV I, the AIDS virus being the ultramicroscopic object), but it has a name and it's in the southern hemisphere! ](*,)

What about H IV 2? Dang, that's called "Hubble's Variable Nebula"! ](*,)
Whoa, Eroica, you do find ingenous solutions! Indeed, the two are not what I tought of, but cheers for these suggestions! =D>
I believed that the solution I have in mind would be the only coincident identity in designations, but you proved me wrong here.

Thinking of things like HIV is a good line of search. And I did put a hint as to the location of the celestial object...
__________________
Non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem.
Reply With Quote
  #666 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 05:54 PM
Melusine's Avatar
Melusine Melusine is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,289
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grey
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melusine
This is the prize?

Poster who finally has all the right answers will be awarded the Raison of Mental Merit, and a dinner, fro[m] me.

How do you swing that?
I think the correction should be not "from", but "for". A Thousand Pardons has a dinner in the winner's honor. I expect the winner would probably be welcome to actually attend, but I believe that travel expenses are not included in the prize.
Lol, yes, I got that the dinner was a transposition of for, but the dinner should be from him. :wink:

(Believe it or not, I'm not as dumb as you think)
__________________
Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.
Reply With Quote
  #667 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 06:18 PM
A Thousand Pardons's Avatar
A Thousand Pardons A Thousand Pardons is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 2,955
Default
No, Grey is right, as usual.
Reply With Quote
  #668 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 06:22 PM
Melusine's Avatar
Melusine Melusine is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,289
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
No, Grey is right, as usual.
No, the dinner should be from you. That would be a much better prize. You could mail a nice, fat gift certificate from the money you "won." :roll:
__________________
Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.
Reply With Quote
  #669 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 06:25 PM
A Thousand Pardons's Avatar
A Thousand Pardons A Thousand Pardons is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 2,955
Default
I know Grey is right.

Besides, all proceeds from the challenge have always gone to the winner, of course. Less expenses.
Reply With Quote
  #670 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 06:29 PM
Melusine's Avatar
Melusine Melusine is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,289
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
I know Grey is right.

Besides, all proceeds from the challenge have always gone to the winner, of course. Less expenses.
We're on two different planets, ATP, stop taking things so literally! Geesh. 8)
__________________
Sunset

Die Sonne scheidet hinter dem Gebirge. In alle Täler steigt der Abend nieder
mit seinen Schatten, die voll Kühlung sind.
Reply With Quote
  #671 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 06:31 PM
Arneb's Avatar
Arneb Arneb is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aachen, Germany
Posts: 2,267
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melusine
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
I know Grey is right.

Besides, all proceeds from the challenge have always gone to the winner, of course. Less expenses.
We're on two different planets, ATP, stop taking things so literally! Geesh. 8)
Ahem - any questions or answers for the actual Quiz?
8)
__________________
Non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem.
Reply With Quote
  #672 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 07:15 PM
 
Posts: n/a
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arneb
Quote:
Originally Posted by George
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arneb
I get .318 x my 518 billion = 164 billion.

Better? 8-[
Ding, ding, ding. Congrats! You are our new winner (give or take a billion galaxies).
Yeah right, we will not bicker about the small change, will we? :wink:

I'll tra to retaliate with a Bad one without any mathematics in it (only a number): There is a structure in our galaxy that shares its most commonly used name with one of the smallest objects known in our biosphere.

Hint: You need a good pair of binoculars to see the former, an electron microscope to see the latter.

And with that: A very good night, everyone.
So maybe NGC6229 H IV 50 ? A globular in Hercules
Reply With Quote
  #673 (permalink)  
Old 10-July-2005, 07:35 PM
Arneb's Avatar
Arneb Arneb is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Aachen, Germany
Posts: 2,267
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by IMO
So maybe NGC6229 H IV 50 ? A globular in Hercules
Clooooose. But no cigar. There is no HIV 50 virus, by the way.

Edited to add: Not all viruses are human-pathogenic
__________________
Non sunt multiplicanda entia praeter necessitatem.
Reply With Quote
  #674 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 12:37 AM
formulaterp formulaterp is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 297
Send a message via Yahoo to formulaterp
Default
Wow, what a tough one Arneb. Are you a microbiologist by an chance?

There is a bacteriophage known as M13 which is apparently used for cloning and gene therapy research. Most of us would recognize the term as a globular cluster in Hercules.
Reply With Quote
  #675 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 12:54 AM
A Thousand Pardons's Avatar
A Thousand Pardons A Thousand Pardons is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: NC, USA
Posts: 2,955
Default
Isn't that commonly known as the Great Hercules Cluster though?
Reply With Quote
  #676 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 01:43 AM
formulaterp formulaterp is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 297
Send a message via Yahoo to formulaterp
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by A Thousand Pardons
Isn't that commonly known as the Great Hercules Cluster though?

Well, I guess one could quibble as to what the "most" common name of the cluster might be. As I was looking for some images of the M13 bacteriophage, I was sort of hoping that it would vaguely resemble a globular cluster. But alas, it's filamentary in appearance. So no other similarity besides the designation.

Assuming my answer is correct. And yes, I'm well aware of the common advice about making assumptions. Here's my question:

Let's say you were observing Jupiter through a telescope. You spot shadows cast on the planet's surface by 3 of the 4 Galilean moons. Even if you cannot identify the moons (or their shadows) individually, you can know the identity of 1 of the moons with complete certainty. Which one is it, and why?
Reply With Quote
  #677 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 01:54 AM
George's Avatar
George George is online now
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio, Tx.
Posts: 7,211
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by formulaterp
Let's say you were observing Jupiter through a telescope. You spot shadows cast on the planet's surface by 3 of the 4 Galilean moons. Even if you cannot identify the moons (or their shadows) individually, you can know the identity of 1 of the moons with complete certainty. Which one is it, and why?
Io is moving rapidly, or do I have to cogitate for this one?
__________________
Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.
Reply With Quote
  #678 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 02:06 AM
formulaterp formulaterp is offline
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Maryland
Posts: 297
Send a message via Yahoo to formulaterp
Default
George,

Assume you can't discern any movement, or that you are looking at a photograph.
Reply With Quote
  #679 (permalink)  
Old 11-July-2005, 02:47 AM
George's Avatar
George George is online now
Senior Member
  
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio, Tx.
Posts: 7,211
Default
Quote:
Originally Posted by formulaterp
George,

Assume you can't discern any movement, or that you are looking at a photograph.
Ok. After minor cogiation....one must have an inclined orbital plane. Nope, that can't be it. Darn. I want an easy one.
__________________
Lighten up! This is a stellar board! Author: duh.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as though it had nothing else in the universe to do..." Author: Galileo supposedly.
Reply With Quote
  #680 (p