THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
207-780-4249   www.usm.maine.edu/planet
70 Falmouth Street   Portland, Maine 04103
43.6667° N                   70.2667° W 
Altitude:  10 feet below sea level
Founded January 1970
Julian Date: 2458866.16
2019-2020:  LXXXVII
                'Heavens on the half shell."

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, January 17, 2020
Quiz XVIII:  Astronomical/Mythological True or False

We know that the once conjoined topics of astronomy and mythology have long since gone their separate ways.  While astronomy soared to the very limits of the physical universe, mythology remained stubbornly Earthbound, sumptuously furnishing our sky with every possible imaginative ornamentation.      Today, we forget their lamentable, but necessary, divorce and combine them again into a 10 question T or F quiz. Naturally, we'll focus on celestial mythology, which still mixes well with astronomy.

TRUE OR FALSE

1.  Mars will next transit the Sun in December 2117

2.  Hercules slew the Minotaur in a Cretan labyrinth

3.   The Southern Cross is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere

4.  Delphinus the Dolphin saved Arion from a band of pirates

5.  The Sun has enough helium in its core to sustain itself for five billion years.

6.  Cassiopeia the Queen's boast that she was more beautiful than the Nereids incurred Poseidon's implacable hatred. As a punishment he released Cetus the Seamonster to destroy her village.

7.  The largest known asteroid, Ceres, was also the first asteroid discovered.  

8.  Cancer the Crab joined Hydra the Water Snake in its battle with Hercules

9.  The golf ball Apollo astronaut Alan Shepherd hit on the moon is likely still in a low orbit around it.

10. Jason and the Argonauts embarked on a quest to capture the golden fleece





ANSWERS

1.  Mars will next transit the Sun in December 2117
FALSE!
Mars cannot transit the Sun from our perspective.  Only the planets closer to the Sun than Earth can appear to move directly across it.   Venus will next transit the Sun in December 2117.   Mercury will next transit the Sun in November 2032 (although eastern US observers won't see that transit.)

2.  Hercules slew the Minotaur in a Cretan labyrinth
FALSE!
Theseus slew the Minotaur in a Cretan labyrinth.   Theseus was inspired to his heroic acts by learning of Hercules' own daring exploits, however.    

3.   The Southern Cross is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere
FALSE!
While the Southern Cross, aka Crux, is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere, it is actually visible at any location south of the 30th North Parallel.  So, observers in Florida and Hawaii, to cite two examples, can see this cross.  Granted, at these locations, the Southern Cross will be quite low along the southern horizon.

4.  Delphinus the Dolphin saved Arion from a band of pirates
TRUE!
The jewel box constellation that is now about to set with the Sun represents Delphinus the dolphin who saved the musician Arion from a band of pirates who wanted the gold he won in a Sicilian musical contest.     When the pirates surrounded him on the ship on which he was scheduled to return home, Arion persuaded them to let me perform once more on his lyre.  Roughnecks though they were, they all loved his music and agreed.   Arion's music summoned the dolphin Delphinus to side of the ship.   Arion quickly tossed himself overboard and Delphinus then spirited him away to safety.

5.  The Sun has enough helium in its core to sustain itself for five billion years.
FALSE!
The Sun is currently fusing hydrogen in its core to produce helium and in the process generate energy.  The Sun contains enough hydrogen in to sustain these reactions for another five billion years.


6.  Cassiopeia the Queen's boast that she was more beautiful than the Nereids incurred Poseidon's implacable hatred. As a punishment he released Cetus the Seamonster to destroy her village.
FALSE!
Cassiopeia boasted that her daughter Andromeda was more beautiful than the Nereids.  This arrogant remark induced the sea god Poseidon to send Cetus to her village.

7.  The largest known asteroid, Ceres, was also the first asteroid discovered.  
TRUE!
Ceres, the largest known asteroid in the solar system, was the first asteroid discovered. Giuseppe Piazzi discovered Ceres on Jan 1, 1801, the very first day of the 19th century.  

8.  Cancer the Crab joined Hydra the Water Snake in its battle with Hercules
TRUE!
Although, Cancer didn't do particularly well.     When Hera, Hercules' fiercest enemy, noticed that Hercules was embroiled in a fierce battle with Hydra, she deployed Cancer to join the fight. Almost as soon as Cancer arrived, Hercules stomped on it, killing it immediately.


9.  The golf ball Apollo astronaut Alan Shepherd hit on the moon is likely still in a low orbit around it.
FALSE!
Yes, Alan Shepherd struck a golf ball on the moon and it traveled a fair distance, perhaps more than two miles. Yet, it did not go into orbit around the moon.

10. Jason and the Argonauts embarked on a quest to capture the golden fleece
TRUE!
I'd say more but, ha ha ha ha, it's almost noon time!




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