The Daily Teaser — 20-8-2015: Space Stuff

Right … 

That’s that set up … 

Remember, yesterday, that I told you the second monitor had failed on me?

Awkward, especially once you get used to a dual monitor set up.   Making the slideshows for Nik Nak’s Old Peculiar is something it’s helpful for: I put the question sets on one screen, copying text  the Keynote files on the main screen.

To be frank … ?   I’m grateful I’d managed to squirrel away a spare 4:3 monitor.

And that I had the relevant cables to hook it up to my Mac Pro: it’s a bit fussy, like that.

Hopefully … ?   Hopefully, I’l be able to squirrel away a bit of cash to get a new second monitor.

That way?   I’ll have a spare … 

~≈†≈~

But let’s get moving on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi* putting in her answers: and scoring nine out of ten.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) 20th August saw the launch of the Viking 1 probe.  By whom: the European Space Agency, the Japanese Space Agency or NASA?

Q2) In which year of the 1970s?

Q3) Viking 1 was heading for Mars: also known as the what planet?

Q4) The Viking 1 lander and orbiter did radio tests to test what: Martian soil, Martian atmosphere or general relativity?

Q5) The lander landed on part of Mars called Chryse Planitia.   Chryse Planitia translates as what: Golden Plain, Orange Plain or Brown Plain?

Q6) NASA launched one of the ‘Voyager’ probes: on 20th August, 1977.   Which of the Voyager probes?

Q7) The Voyager probe we’re talking about, is the only human craft to have visited two particular planets: name either.

Q8) The Voyager probes were heading for what: Mars, Venus or the outer planets?

Q9) Our Voyager is now 104 what away: 104 miles, light years or AUs?

Q10) Finally … the Voyager probes each had a golden record, intended to greet any extraterrestrials that found the probes.   The record feature greetings in how many human languages?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 19th August, 295 BC, saw Quintus Fabius Maximus Gurges dedicate the first Roman temple to Venus.   Venus was the Ancient Roman Goddess of what: cheese, love or war?

A1) Love.

Q2) Venus was thought to be the ancestress of the people of Rome: through one of her sons.   What was his name?

A2) Aeneas.   (Who is believed to have founded the city, after fleeing the fall of Troy.)

Q3) Roses were believed to be sacred to Venus: along side which other plant?

A3) Myrtle.

Q4) A small shrine to Venus was near Rome’s Cloaca Maxima, as it was felt to purify the air in the area.   What WAS the Cloaca Maxima?

A4) Rome’s earliest sewer system.

Q5) Who — in 46BC — dedicated a temple to Venus Genetrix, or Venus the Mother?

A5) Julius Caesar.

Q6) Which month of the year did the Romans consider sacred to Venus?

A6) April.

Q7) Venus was the Roman Goddess.   What was the name of her Ancient Greek equivalent?

A7) Aphrodite.

Q8) In some Roman myths, Venus was felt to be the wife of Mars, the Roman god of what?

A8) War.

Q9) In other parts of Roman mythology, Venus was the wife of the Roman god of smiths and the forge.   Who was he?

A9) Vulcan.

Q10) Finally … The Birth Of Venus — thought to have been painted around the 1480s — was painted by whom?

A10) Sandro Botticelli.

I’ll leave you with this thought …

“Space is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it’s a long way down the road to the chemist, but that’s just peanuts to space.”

Douglas Adams, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

And this song … 

Enjoy your day … !

*        I’m just wondering what on Earth happened to Babylon Zoo, Debbi† … !

†        Actually, Debbi, sewers‡ are considered very romantic.   But only by some very odd people … … … … … 

‡        Saying that, Debbi, I’ve got the Today programme — on Radio 4 — on in the background.   They’re running an news item on how the River Thames used to be — about 50 or so years ago — near enough an open sewer: and considered biologically dead.   The article they report on is about how new mammal species — whales, dolphins and seals, included — are re-populating it.