5th Annual Astronomy Challenge announcement

[hhEb09'1]

It's almost time for the 5th Annual Astronomy Challenge (actually, it's almost time for the 6th, but since we didn't have one last year, we'll have the 5th this year). It will be another Bricker quiz, like in years past (http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=19725
), but I want to give more people a chance to participate. So, sign up for the quiz in this thread by posting to it--and subscribing to it so you get the reminders. When I have twenty registered participants, I'll start the actual quiz (or on Aug. 15, whichever comes later). Previous winners have an automatic exemption, but they may want to subscribe to this thread, to study the competition.

Registered:
1. Wiley
2. Grand Vizier
3. Kristophe
4. Grey
5. Eroica
6. George
7. Arneb
8. Jerry
9. Peter Wilson
10. evanoconnor
11. parejkoj
12. tony873004
13. Tobin Dax
14. Tensor
15. JeDi
16. antoniseb
17. Dave Mitsky
18. SeanF
19. ToSeek
20. Nicolas
21. pghnative
22. dgruss23

[Eroica]

Can't wait!

[George]

Great. I look forward to it.

[Arneb]

Mmmmh...

[hhEb09'1]

OK, this one's wet, I'll just make another, no problem

[Jerry]

Who gets to decide which answers are right? :)

[hhEb09'1]

Who gets to decide which answers are right? :)It's a Bricker quiz, which have appeared from time to time at the Straight Dope message board. From the 3rd annual (http://www.bautforum.com/astronomy/12813-3rd-annual-astronomy-challenge.html):
Remember, some of these questions can have more than one right answer. Part of the game is to determine which "right" answer

[George]

OK, this one's wet, I'll just make another, no problem Good, that one was too hard, thanks Arneb.

[Peter Wilson]

I'll take the 5th...

[Peter Wilson]

This year, just to keep things interesting, the challange will be Jeopardy-style. Below are the answers; challengees provide the questions :)


1) The Cassini Division
2) 1/137
3) 3,567 cm^(-1)
4) Apophis
5) The Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievski-Paddack effect
6) Gravity Probe A
7) [1 – (v/c)^2]^(1/2)
8) 1998

[hhEb09'1]

Don't listen to him, he's just trying to get out of last place :)

[Jerry]

This year, just to keep things interesting, the challange will be Jeopardy-style. Below are the answers; challengees provide the questions

Piece of Cake:

1) The Cassini Division: Who invaded Rome in 234 A.D.?
2) 1/137: What is the smallest slice of pizza that can contain a complete anchovi?
3) 3,567 cm^(-1): What was the inverse error/sec in the MCO insertion altitude due to the Metric-English unit error?
4) Apophis: Where were the Apollo moon landings staged? (Hint: It is near Area 51.)
5) The Yarkovsky-O’Keefe-Radzievski-Paddack effect: What is it called if you snore during a Rimski-Korsichoff concert?
6) Gravity Probe A: Which 'spaceflight' preceded Gravity Probe B?
7) [1 – (v/c)^2]^(1/2): How much later would Einstein have died if he would have been placed in a canister and launched towards alpha Centuri @ 3021km/s on his 30th birthday? (Neglecting the effects of cosmic rays, air depletion and starvation.)
8) 1998: What year did the number of Elvis impersonators exceed the number of people who actually attended a live Elvis concert?

[hhEb09'1]

Uh oh, it looks to me like you got a few right answers questions in there

[Peter Wilson]

Yeah, I was trying to trick people with the Gravity Probe A answer.
Didn't work :doh:

[evanoconnor]

I want to play...
I'm very confused though, and the previous years don't seem to be any help.

Why is Peter in last place?
Do I have to do anything before the 15th?

[parejkoj]

What the heck. Just rejoined the BABB after several years. I'm in.

[hhEb09'1]

I want to play...welcome!

I'm very confused though, and the previous years don't seem to be any help.It's an intelligence test :)
Why is Peter in last place?well, not now

Do I have to do anything before the 15th?You're done until then
What the heck. Just rejoined the BABB after several years. I'm in.How's graduate school treating you? Or is it "treated"--is that why you now have more time for us? :)

[Kristophe]

Considered me pumped. I'm even off for three days or so around the 15th, so I'll have way too much time to dedicate to adding another reign as champeen.

[Peter Wilson]

Why is Peter in last place?
Because I got the most answers wrong?

[tony873004]

count me in

[parejkoj]

Hey Kilopi! Long time no hear. Looks like you've hit quite a few other milestones since I left. But if I might ask, what's the new one? I can't figure it out (at first, I thought it was Hub' in a different name).


How's graduate school treating you? Or is it "treated"--is that why you now have more time for us? :)

No, it's still treating me. We're in a bit of an abusive relationship, and I'm the abusee, as one might expect. I just stumbled on some articles that reminded me of the BABB, and I came back to see what was up.

Obviously, I can take time to post to BAUT instead of doing real work, right? I mean, that's how the rest of you do it... :whistle:

[hhEb09'1]

(at first, I thought it was Hub' in a different name).I'm now a tribute poster (and HUb' lives)
Obviously, I can take time to post to BAUT instead of doing real work, right? You'll fit right in now--everyone here is a physics graduate student or was, seems like.

[Kristophe]

You'll fit right in now--everyone here is a physics graduate student or was, seems like.

Or is hoping to be. I'm hoping to get accepted for the fall 2008 term :)

[Tobin Dax]

You'll fit right in now--everyone here is a physics graduate student or was, seems like.
Actually, I was an astronomy grad student. My B.S. is in Physics. (And ** in Physics is probably what will happen when I start teaching in two weeks. :D)

On topic, I'm in. Hopefully I'll have time to do it this year.

hhEb09'1, looking through the old challenges, you're going to need a new handle before you do this again next year. ;)

[hhEb09'1]

OK, just a general full plate of scholarship hereabouts.

This is the last one (http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/47904-whatever-happened-hub.html#post843169) in your lifetime, looks like Win Megamillions doesn't happen until 2178. When I win the lottery.

[hhEb09'1]

Tensor's back, so of course the first thing to do is get a piece of this

[Peter Wilson]

...looks like Win Megamillions doesn't happen until 2178. When I win the lottery. :clap:
Like I've always said: do the math.

If you buy 2 or 3 lottery tickets every week, the odds are you're gonna win one of these lifetimes :)

[hhEb09'1]

We still need six more sign-ups, so I'm moving the start date to next Monday, if we end up with twenty by then.

[JeDi]

Bump'n'Join :)

[antoniseb]

I'll join

[Dave Mitsky]

I'm game.

[hhEb09'1]

Next Monday, maybe, then.

[Grey]

You may have no choice but to go with a smaller pool than you'd hoped. Actually, I don't think there were twenty active participants in any of the earlier ones, were there?

[hhEb09'1]

OK, next Monday for sure :)

[George]

Besides, I'll need several tries at it so you'll end up with more answers. In fact, shouldn't there be a handicap for amateurs? Please pm me on Sunday a.m. the questions. :D

[hhEb09'1]

Because of your condition, I'll allow you extra time :)

[George]

Will bludgeoning be allowed?



...

[hhEb09'1]

Every so often, during the contest, I tabulate the current standings. You can change your answers at any time, but when I tabulate the standings, I use your most current (last) set of answers for the full set of questions. So you could answer all 497 questions in one post, then modify your answer to question 324 in a subsequent post. I would calculate your score using 496 answers from the first post, and the one answer from the subsequent post.

So, you may bludgeon, but I'm not sure that it will do you any good :)

[Tobin Dax]

How many questions?

How many of them can I steal for exams? :D

[George]

He will probably only ask 9 or 10, though I should come close to 497 with a healthy flailing of answers. [Unfortunately, I will be gone for a week starting Tuesday. :(]

[hhEb09'1]

How many questions?Similar to the previous four challenges. As George says, only nine or ten or so. Looking back, nine is the average, but no challenge has actually had nine. :)

How many of them can I steal for exams? :DAny, but they tend to be perverse. (e.g., "How many questions in this quiz?")
He will probably only ask 9 or 10, though I should come close to 497 with a healthy flailing of answers. [Unfortunately, I will be gone for a week starting Tuesday. :(]I shall start very early Monday, then--maybe give you time for 420 or so aswers.

[George]

Perhaps I should start now...

1) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
2) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
3) 1998
4) 2
5) Fritz Zwicky
6) One ten millionith of the meridian quadrant through Paris.
7) Colliding neutron stars
8) White!
8.33) Fritz

[SeanF]

I'm in!

[ToSeek]

I'm game.

[Nicolas]

I don't know that much about astronomy, but I want to give it a try. Is it a problem that I can't post on friday, saturday, sunday?

[hhEb09'1]

You may have no choice but to go with a smaller pool than you'd hoped. Actually, I don't think there were twenty active participants in any of the earlier ones, were there?There were not, but as I said in the OP I'd hoped to increase participation. That's the reason for starting on Monday, too, I have the impression that there is an increase in BAUT posting during the week, maybe more members have access then.

But it's moot now, since we have 20.

Is it a problem that I can't post on friday, saturday, sunday?We'll start early Monday, and surely be done by Friday.

[pghnative]

Blackjack!

[hhEb09'1]

0 George

[pghnative]

0 GeorgeIt would be more challenging for you had you said "1 George"

[hhEb09'1]

Weirdly, that actually happened, but then I changed the order of the questions, and his right answer was no longer in the appropriate place.

[Nicolas]

Ok so this thing starts on monday, is there anywhere I can read the procedure/rules/goal etc? :)

[George]

1) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
2) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
3) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
4) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
5) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
6) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
7) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
8) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
8.33) Eris, Pluto, Sedna
_________________

1) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
2) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
3) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
4) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
5) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
6) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
7) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
8) 4 (Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)
8.33) 4 ( Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune)

____________

1) 1998
2) 1998
3) 1998
4) 1998
5) 1998
6) 1998
7) 1998
8) 1998
8.33) 1998

_____________

1) 2
2) 2
3) 2
4) 2
5) 2
6) 2
7) 2
8) 2
8.33) 2

_____________

1) Fritz Zwicky
2) Fritz Zwicky
3) Fritz Zwicky
4) Fritz Zwicky
5) Fritz Zwicky
6) Fritz Zwicky
7) Fritz Zwicky
8) Fritz Zwicky
8.33) Fritz Zwicky

:D [Oh nevermind. Don't grade. No sense spoiling the fun. :) I'll wait till Monday. Not that I mind chasing a rabbit. ;)]

[Grey]

Ok so this thing starts on monday, is there anywhere I can read the procedure/rules/goal etc? :)You can probably just go back and look at the previous incarnations to get a good idea of how it works. The general plan is that Pace comes up with a list of questions. Some of the questions will undoubtedly be ambiguous or tricky. We come up with a list of answers for those questions. Periodically, Pace tells everyone how many questions each participant currently has correct; he does not mention which questions everyone ahs correct. We're then free to change our answers to try to get them all right. Stealing answers from other participants is perfectly permissible (perhaps even encouraged :)), although of course you may not know for sure which answers you should be stealing. There's no limit to the number of guesses you can make, and trying to find which of several potentially correct answers to an ambiguous question is the right one is usually by a process of elimination.

[hhEb09'1]

Thanks, that's a pretty good summary Grey. I put a link in the OP back to previous challenges, but here are direct links to all four challenges:
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=1856
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=6094
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=12813
http://www.bautforum.com/showthread.php?t=19725

PS: cute, the board labels them for me, I forgot that :)

I see we used to be able to edit the title of our threads too, else I would probably change that first one to 1st Astronomy Challenge

[Tobin Dax]

For the record, I still don't like calling the Pleiades an asterism.
(I don't want to start to argument again, I just want to state my opinion on the topic. :D)

[hhEb09'1]

Yeah, I remember that, I always thought that was left hanging, the last post of Challenge 3. I dunno, I've always called the Pleides an asterism--I just googled and SEDS (http://seds.org/Maps/Const/asterism.html) has it as an asterism, and so does this wiki article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleiades_(star_cluster)). I'm not sure I understand the objection. You said you used your own definition but didn't say what that definition was.

I declare this On Topic, BTW :) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hairy_Head_%28Chinese_constellation%29)

[Nicolas]

Ok got it, I'm ready!

[hhEb09'1]

The 5th Annual Astronomy Challenge (http://www.bautforum.com/astronomy/64198-5th-annual-astronomy-challenge.html#post1063338) has begun. You do not have to be listed in this thread to participate. Good luck.

[hhEb09'1]

The 5th Annual Astronomy Challenge (http://www.bautforum.com/astronomy/64198-5th-annual-astronomy-challenge.html#post1063338) has begun. And finished soon after. Nicolas was the winner.