Julian Date: 2459174.16
2020-2021: XLIX
THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Friday, November 20, 2020
Remote Planetarium 128: Week 28 Astronomy/Mythology Quiz
Greetings!
Although we're finishing a full week, we deviated somewhat from the usual format. We had no mythological excursion on Thursday and the Wednesday class was brief (except for the mythological excursion.) For these two reasons, today's quiz will contain fifteen, instead of twenty questions. However, we assure you that they will be as pleasure inducing as the many other questions you've seen on past quizzes.
Next week we will have class on Monday and Tuesday only.
1. Why are Type Ia supernovae useful to astronomers?
a. they should all be equally luminous and therefore are useful as distance indicators
b. they are all located within the Milky Way and so enable astronomers to map out the galaxy's regions
c. they all consist solely of dark matter and so by tabulating the number of these objects, astronomers can estimate the amount of dark matter present within any galaxy.
d. none of the above
2. In 1998, two teams of astronomers determined that the Universal expansion is ___________, much to the surprise of the astronomical community.
a. decelerating
b. accelerating
c. about to stop
d. none of the above
3. Approximately ________ percent of the Universe is believed to consist of dark energy
a. 25
b. 40
c. 68
d. 89
4. How did Ceyx and Alcyone anger Zeus and Hera?
a. they didn't sacrifice to them prior to their marriage
b. Ceyx and Alycone referred to each other as "Zeus" and "Hera"
c. they ate their own children
d. they constructed temples only to Athena and Aphrodite
5. Ceyx and Alcyone were eventually transformed into _____________.
a. kingfishers
b. eagles
c. swans
d. dragons
6. Dark energy could be the result of a hitherto unknown form of energy currently called _______________.
a. darker energy
b. quintessence
c. tachyons
d. none of the above
7. According to String Theory, the Universe might consist of __________ dimensions.
a. 4
b. 6
c. 10
d. 128
8. In 2022, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch ________, a probe designed to detect evidence of dark energy.
a. Kepler
b. Newton
c. Brahe
d. Euclid
9. The goddess _____________ spent each night looking down onto Endymion.
a. Athena
b. Aphrodite
c. Artemis
d. Aeolous
10. Endymion will remain forever youthful, but he will also____________
a. remain in a deep sleep forever
b. be repulsive to everyone
c. eventually be transformed into every type of animal
d. carry with him a portrait that will gradually age and decay.
11. Researchers at the Yonsei University in Seoul and at Lyon University published a paper calling into question dark energy's existence. What claim did they make?
a. that the Universe isn't actually expanding at all
b. that Type Ia supernovae aren't necessarily equally bright
c. that the Universe is already starting to implode
d. none of the above
12. Why did Zeus force Apollo to become Admetus' servant for one year?
a. because Apollo killed Zeus' Cyclopes
b. because Apollo seduced Hera
c. because Apollo gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy
d. because Apollo joined the other gods in the rebellion against Zeus
13. Why did Thanatos (death) relinquish Alcestis?
a. she didn't have a coin to give Charon, the ferry man.
b. she concealed herself in an invisibility cloak and Thanatos couldn't find her
c. Heracles wrestled Thanatos to the ground and wouldn't release him until he promised to release Alcestis
d. Admetus offered to die for her.
14. Which one is not a twilight phase?
a. civil
b. nautical
c. diurnal
d. astronomical
15. The moon moves through the sky at a rate of _______ degree(s) an hour.
a. 1/2
b. 2
c. 4
d. 12
ANSWERS
1. Why are Type Ia supernovae useful to astronomers?
a. they should all be equally luminous and therefore are useful as distance indicators
Astronomers believe that Type Ia supernovae are all of equal brightness. By observing a Type Ia supernovae , an astronomer can compare its apparent brightness with its absolute brightness so as to determine its distance
2. In 1998, two teams of astronomers determined that the Universal expansion is ___________, much to the surprise of the astronomical community.
b. accelerating
Astronomers had assumed matter in the Universe would impede the Universal expansion over time. However, astronomers studying Type Ia supernovae determined that the expansion is actually accelerating.
3. Approximately ________ percent of the Universe is believed to consist of dark energy
c. 68
Ironically, most of the Universe consists of something about which astronomers currently know very little. Visible matter comprises about 4 -5% of the known Universe.
4. How did Ceyx and Alcyone anger Zeus and Hera?
b. Ceyx and Alycone referred to each other as "Zeus" and "Hera"
How impertinent! They referred to each other by divine names, much to the chagrin of both Zeus and Hera
5. Ceyx and Alcyone were eventually transformed into _____________.
a. kingfishers
When Alcyone saw Ceyx's body floating on the sea, she resolved to kill herself. However, she and her dead husband were both turned into kingfishers.
6. Dark energy could be the result of a hitherto unknown form of energy currently called _______________.
b. quintessence
One possible source of the dark energy might be a form of energy dubbed "quintessence," or fifth essence: an appropriate name considering that physicists recognize four other fundamental forces. The problem with quintessence is that scientists have collected no evidence of it yet. It is therefore regarded as so much mind play.
7. According to String Theory, the Universe might consist of __________ dimensions.
c. 10
We are familiar with four dimensions: length, width, breadth and duration, three spatial and one temporal. String Theorists posit that the Universe might actually consist of ten dimensions, six of which are undetectable by us. It is possible that the Universal acceleration, which we ascribe to dark energy, might be caused by these extra dimensions.
8. In 2022, the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch ________, a probe designed to detect evidence of dark energy.
d. Euclid
Named for geometer Euclid of Alexandria (mid fourth century BCE), this probe will observe more than a billion distant galaxies in an effort to detect dark energy.
9. The goddess _____________ spent each night looking down onto Endymion.
c. Artemis
Artemis fell passionately in love with Endymion, but was able only to admire him from her chariot.
10. Endymion will remain forever youthful, but he will also____________
a. remain in a deep sleep forever
Zeus gave Endymion a choice: die soon or live eternally and agelessly in a deep sleep. Endymion chose the latter option.
11. Researchers at the Yonsei University in Seoul and at Lyon University published a paper calling into question dark energy's existence. What claim did they make?
b. that Type Ia supernovae aren't necessarily equally bright
Their research suggested that Type Ia supernovae are becoming more luminous with time. If these findings are accurate -many researchers doubt they are- it might suggest that the more distant Type Ia supernovae are fainter because of their intrinsic brightness, not because they are farther away than expected.
12. Why did Zeus force Apollo to become Admetus' servant for one year?
a. because Apollo killed Zeus' Cyclopes
Apollo killed the Cyclopes to avenge the death of his son Aesculapius. Zeus killed Aesculapius after the latter resurrected Orion the Hunter.
13. Why did Thanatos (death) relinquish Alcestis?
c. Heracles wrestled Thanatos to the ground and wouldn't release him until he promised to release Alcestis
Alcestis offered to die for her husband Admetus. However, when Thanatos came to collect Alcestis, Heracles intervened and wrestled him to the ground. He only released death when he promised to release Alcestis.
14. Which one is not a twilight phase?
c. diurnal
We recognize three distinct twilight phases:
Civil (when the Sun is between 0 to 6 degrees below the horizon) ends at 4:43 p.m
Nautical (when the Sun is between 6 - 12 degrees below the horizon) ends at 5:18 p.m.
Astronomical (when the Sun is between 12 - 18 degrees below the horizon. ends at 5:52 p.m.
15. The moon moves through the sky at a rate of _______ degree(s) an hour.
a. 1/2
The moon moves its own diameter every hour, on average. That motion amounts to 12 degrees a day.
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