2023-08-11 23:00:00
On the occasion of the 33rd edition of “Nights of the Stars”, from August 11 to 13, Arte is offering a special day dedicated to space on Saturday August 12. Test your knowledge on the subject with this celestial quiz!
1. A constellation is a group of neighboring stars (observed from Earth) in the celestial sphere, which represents a determined conventional figure. How many are there in the sky?
A. 88. In 1930, the International Astronomical Union defined 88 of them, including 44 for each hemisphere, inspired for the most part by the constellations described by the ancient Greeks.
B. 12. These are the constellations of the zodiac, referring to the 12 signs of the zodiac.
C. Variable depending on the era…
2. But by the way, what is a star?
A. A spherical celestial body composed of hydrogen and helium, possessing a nucleus in which nuclear fusion reactions take place.
B. A celestial body composed mainly of extremely pure crystalline silica (like quartz), whose structure multiplies and reflects the light rays emitted by the sun.
C. A celestial body composed mainly of ice because it is very far from the heat of the sun, but which nevertheless reflects its light.
3. Which statement is correct?
A. Stars are formed by the agglomeration and condensation of gas and dust under the effect of gravity.
B. A star emits its own light while a planet reflects light from its parent star.
C. The Milky Way is a galaxy comprising between 200 and 400 billion celestial bodies whose composition is close to that of lactose molecules.
4. What is a shooting star?
A. The luminous phenomenon that accompanies the entry into the atmosphere of a body called a meteoroid (a small body in the solar system intermediate between the larger asteroid and the interplanetary dust).
B. A fine cosmic dust which is vaporized entirely before reaching the earth’s soil.
C. A light trail caused by the vaporization of a meteoroid and the ionization of the air in its path.
5. What is a meteorite?
A. The study of atmospheric phenomena such as clouds, precipitation or wind.
B. A cloud of alien dust.
C. A solid object of extraterrestrial origin which, while passing through the atmosphere, has not lost all of its mass.
6. What are the Perseids?
A. Debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which broke off its tail, is falling and is expected to end its course in our atmosphere.
B. Debris from the constellation Perseus, observable in the Northern Hemisphere.
C. A very rare weather phenomenon.
7. Which proposition is not a star?
A. Gun Star
B. Soleil
C. Evening Star
8. What is the official name of the North Star?
A. UY Scuti
B. Alpha Ursa Minor
C. RW Cephei
9. Who is James-Webb?
A. The inventor of the Internet
B. The most powerful telescope ever launched into space
C. The largest observatory in the world
10. Which science is considered the oldest in the world?
A. Archeology
B. Mathematics
C. Astronomy
Answers
1.A and C. The number of constellations has varied over time and according to civilizations because they are only an imagery invented by humans, without any scientific consequence for the stars, nebulae, galaxies… which are in the same constellation.
2. A
3. B. They are the planets which form by accretion and condensation of gas and dust under the effect of gravitation, while the stars form following the collapse of a sphere of gas.
4.A, B and C
5. C
6. A
7. C. The Evening Star is actually Venus, the sixth largest planet in the solar system.
8. B. Alpha Ursae Minoris is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is known to correspond with good precision to the direction of the celestial North Pole, which earned it the common name of Polar Star.
9. B. Thirty years were needed to design this space telescope launched on December 21, 2021 from Kourou, in French Guiana. The first views communicated by this jewel of technology, operational since July 2022, already give a dizzying glimpse of infinity.
10. C. The science of observing the stars, seeking to explain their origin, their evolution, as well as their physical and chemical properties, is at least 5,000 years old, 7,000 even according to the French astrophysicist Éric Lagadec.
Star Nights in Belgium
From Monday July 17 until Thursday August 24, debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which broke off its tail, is falling and is expected to end its course in our atmosphere, causing a shower of shooting stars. . If the sky is clear, the stars will be able to be seen in particular on the night of August 12 to 13, but also that of August 13 to 14 with, in theory, nearly a hundred shooting stars per hour.
Ideal observation
To maximize your chances of enjoying the show, sit away from city lights, and look towards the northeast instead, in the early hours of the morning.
• In Ypres-Zillebeke: presence of bilingual observers. On August 11 and 12 from 9 p.m. at the AstroLAB, Palingbeek domain in Ypres-Zillebeke. FREE ENTRANCE.
• In Grimbergen, on August 11, 12 and 13, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., the Public Mira Observatory offers telescopes, binoculars, exhibitions, models… Public Mira Observatory, Abdijstraat 22 in Grimbergen. Free visit and observations, lectures: €3.
• In Louvain-la-Neuve, observation with telescopes, on August 12 and 13 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., at the CAO, Astronomical Club of Ottignies, Lake Louvain-la-Neuve near the Aula Magna, Rêverie du promeneur solitary in 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve. FREE ENTRANCE.
• In Dourbes, observation with various telescopes on 12, 13 and 14 August from 9.00 p.m. to 3.00 a.m. at the Dourbes observation station, rue de Mariembourg, 45 in Dourbes.
This article appeared in the Télépro of 08/10/2023.
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