October 19, 2016 7:30-9:30PM

Der Wolfskopf

Talk 1

Talk 2

Quiz Questions / Answers

1. What is the largest constellation in the sky? Hydra
2. What are the moons of Uranus named after? Shakespearean characters
3. How long does it take for the Earth to make one full orbit around the Sun? 1 year or 365.242 days
4. when telescope mirrors are actively deformed to match the wavefronts from astronomical objects (creating less blurry images), what is it called? Adaptive optics
5. In Star Wars, what planet is made up entirely of a single city and is the center of the Galactic Republic / Empire? Coruscant
6. Approximately how long after the Big Bang did it take for the Universe to produce the bulk of the helium that exists today? 20 minutes
7. In 1543, what astronomer published a paper overturning the dominant view that the Earth is the center of the Universe? Copernicus
8. What Caltech-sponsored telescope, now under construction in Hawaii, will be the largest optical telescope in the world with a 30-meter mirror? Thirty meter telescope
9. From what location does the Russian Space Agency launch its Soyuz rockets (& cosmonauts / astronauts) traveling to the ISS? Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan
10. When a supernovae explodes, most of its energy is released in a burst of these particles? Neutrinos