THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM 207-780-4249 www.usm.maine.edu/planet 70 Falmouth Street Portland, Maine 04103 43.6667° N 70.2667° W Founded January 1970 Julian date: 2457705.16 "*We would be remiss to not acknowledge the great debt we all owe to those who serve in the armed forces. Today we commemorate Veteran's Day, or, as it was once called, "Armistice Day," which celebrated the conclusion of World War I, believed at the time to have been the war to end all wars. We all know, lamentably, it wasn't. The men and women who have served or are serving our country make the greatest sacrifices on our behalf, and, in so doing, shield us from the many menaces of this predatory world. We speak freely, live openly and sleep soundly because of their service. To them, we say that we regret that we can only offer this insubstantial expression of gratitude in return. Know, however, that the privations you accept, the dangers you confront, and the painful separations you endure are not in vain, for, because of you, we enjoy the distinct privilege of being part of one of the freest countries on this planet. Happy Veterans Day."* *THE DAILY ASTRONOMER* *Friday, November 11, 2016* *Quiz X: 1908* The Chicago Cubs won the World Series! Yes, we know. After this last week, that first statement reads more like a historical document than a news flash. We all now know that the cursed Chicago Bears ended their 108 year drought and are now world champions. In commemoration of this astounding achievement, we're going to turn the time travel knobs in our planetarium console and return to the year 1908 for this historical quiz! (If the Cleveland Indians had won, this quiz would have been about 1948. If the Milwaukee Brewers had won the world series, this quiz would have been about the Big Bang.) 1, Who was US President in 1908? a. William Taft b. Theodore Roosevelt c. William McKinley d. Woodrow Wilson 2. Ok, I have to ask this question during every quiz pertaining to a certain year just in hopes of redemption. What is "1908" in Roman Numerals? a. MCMDXVII b. MCMVIII c. MCMXVII d. MCMIXIII 3. The year 1908 is important astronomically, because in that year____________ a. Halley Comet's returned to our skies b. A mysterious cosmic object exploded over Tunguska, in Siberia c. Astronomers observed a supernova in the Milky Way Galaxy d. Pluto was discovered 4. Which ONE of the following celebrities was NOT born in 1908? a. William Hartnell (the first actor to portray Dr. Who) b. Jimmy Stewart c. Ronald Reagan d. Ian Fleming (created the "James Bond" character) e, Bette Davis 5. Which outlaws were said to have been killed in 1908? a. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid b. Bonnie and Clyde c. Ozzie and Harriet d. Al Capone and Frank Nitti 6. Gabriel Lippman received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1908 for what? a. discovering helium in the Sun b. reproducing colors photographically c. proving the existence of electrons d. synthesizing the first trans-Uranic element 7. Which periodical started in 1908? a. The New York Times b. The Boston Globe c. The Christian Science Monitor d. National Geographic 8. The Chicago Cubs defeated ______________ in the 1908 World Series. a. The Detroit Tigers b. A Roman Garrison under the command of Caesar Tiberius c. The Cleveland Spiders d. The Boston Red Sox 9. In 1908, Thomas Selfridge became the first person to do what? a. go over Niagara Falls in a barrel b. die in a plane crash c. publish a novel written entirely on a typewriter d. photograph a total solar eclipse 10. How many stars were on the American flag in 1908? a. 45 b. 46 c. 47 d. 4 8 BONUS 11. Which ONE of the following amazing facts about 1908 is NOT true? a. The population of Las Vegas was less than 100 b. The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower c. Only eight percent of households had telephones d. Crossword Puzzles hadn't yet been invented e. Actually, all the previous statements are true ANSWERS 1. b. Theodore Roosevelt (1901 - 1909) Taft was elected in 1908, but was not inaugurated until 1909 2. b. MCMVIII 3. b. A mysterious cosmic object exploded over Tunguska, in Siberia 4. c. Ronald Reagan He was born in 1911 5. a. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Not everyone is convinced that these two were actually killed in 1908. The matter remains unresolved. 6. b. reproducing colors photographically 7. c. The Christian Science Monitor 8. a. The Detroit Tigers 9. b. die in a plane crash (Note: Orville Wright was piloting the plane. Wright was seriously injured, but recovered.) 10. a. 1945 11. e. Actually, all the previous statements are true