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Astronomy Decoder

Guess each short answer. Then combine the first letters of each answer to make a famous quote
Except for the quote, all answers are a single word
Quiz by Kestrana
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Featured Quiz
Last updated: July 20, 2022
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First submittedSeptember 3, 2015
Times taken26,110
Average score82.6%
Rating4.44
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Hint
Answer
O
"Hunter" constellation containing
Rigel and Betelgeuse
Orion
N
Astronaut Armstrong
Neil
E
Where humans live
Earth
G
Milky Way or Andromeda, e.g.
Galaxy
I
Space between stars or an
Anne Hathaway movie
Interstellar
A
Free floating bit of cosmic rock
Asteroid
N
Phase of the Moon where it
appears dark
New
T
Rising and falling of the ocean,
caused by the Moon
Tides
L
300,000 kilometers per second:
Speed of _____
Light
E
Event where the Moon comes
between the Earth and the Sun
Eclipse
A
NASA lunar program
Apollo
P
A fully or partially ionized gas
Plasma
 
Hint
Answer
F
The sun and the Earth both have
a magnetic _____
Field
O
"Cloud" around the solar system
where comets originate
Oort
R
When an object moves in the
reverse sense of “normal” motion
Retrograde
M
Closest planet to the Sun
Mercury
A
Belief that the stars and planets
influence events; horoscopes
Astrology
N
8th planet in the Solar System
Neptune
K
Belt of objects beyond the above
Kuiper
I
First name of the philosopher that
defined the Theory of Gravity
Isaac
N
Cloud of gas where stars might form
Nebula
D
Rock star astronomer
Neil _______ Tyson
deGrasse
 
Quote
One giant leap for mankind
roleybob
+5
Level 75
Aug 17, 2016
This is a very clunky clue:

When an object moves in the reverse sense of “normal” motion.

Is it possible to re-word it?

Quizmaster
+4
Level ∞
Aug 17, 2016
Can you suggest an alternate wording? I got the answer right away.
bostjan
+3
Level 72
Aug 25, 2022
It's the least guessed answer. I would reword it "Planetary motion contrary to the majority of other objects," but I think the current clue should be fine.
MyMindWentBlank
+3
Level 61
Oct 7, 2016
It makes sense to me.
Swanbabe
+5
Level 38
Oct 8, 2016
I think if you know the word retrograde the clue is indicative.

I thought this was one of the easier ones.

roleybob
+1
Level 75
Jan 22, 2018
I still don't think it sounds right but maybe it's just me then
9luap
+3
Level 59
Sep 7, 2019
I agree with you, it was strange to me as well. I would say it spins the other way as the objects in its surroundings, or something like that.
AntiMatter8192
+3
Level 68
Apr 5, 2020
Same here. Didn't make sense to me. Maybe make another answer.
plattitude
+1
Level 92
Jul 21, 2022
I think it's clear what the clue is asking for, no need to change it.
Algernon
+1
Level 72
Jul 23, 2022
I hadn’t a clue on that one, but when I saw the answer I wasn’t quite sure how I would have worded it to make it more obvious. As a non physicist that’s not a word I encounter very often. Not that I have a problem with that. If QM wants to change the word it may make it easier for people to get but the quiz is probably set at about the right difficulty level as is.
fractalphi
+1
Level 56
Aug 27, 2022
my gripe is that it should say "appears to move" lol
Sulps
+2
Level 56
Oct 7, 2016
Can you accept "solar eclipse"? I only answered it right because I got an E from the quote. After all, a solar eclipse is the precise event the hint suggests.
MyMindWentBlank
+2
Level 61
Oct 7, 2016
Agreed
MayaB
+4
Level 73
Nov 6, 2017
Yes, but there's a caveat saying that every answer is a single word.
Pandas66
+2
Level 56
Oct 7, 2016
did awfully but great :D
Yossarian
+2
Level 64
Oct 7, 2016
Finderscope sounds made up...
brandybuck96
+12
Level 83
Jun 19, 2018
Words tend to be made up.
MrMagoo
+2
Level 84
Sep 29, 2019
All words are, according to Thor
Cordelia75
+2
Level 56
Jun 9, 2022
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finderscope
manchesterutd10
+3
Level 55
Oct 7, 2016
got 3 clues and guessed the quote right
jengle152
+2
Level 64
Mar 3, 2018
Yeah nice I got the quote from just ON somehow because the second one was about Neil Armstrong. Great quiz!
Zefyrinus
+4
Level 71
Oct 10, 2016
Hah! I guessed the quote before I even started the quiz. :D
McKenzieFam
+2
Level 63
Apr 12, 2020
Really? Me too!
CaritasInVeritate
+5
Level 91
Mar 7, 2017
A few alternatives to Kuiper would be appreciated! Tried Kyper, Keiper, Kieper etc etc!
Algernon
+1
Level 72
Jul 23, 2022
Snap. Google saved me
JBrommit
+2
Level 62
Apr 20, 2017
Easy peasy. Thanks, retired-astronomy-professor grandma!
LVSAS
+3
Level 43
Nov 9, 2017
Neil deGrasse Tyson is my hero...i wish our leaders would listen to him more often. Not only is he incredibly smart but he has a great sense of humor and is quite funny.
AlmostAGenius
+2
Level 80
Jul 21, 2022
Actually please change the clue for Neil deGrasse Tyson to “Pluto Murder”. Thanks.
Goggynoggler
+2
Level 55
Sep 19, 2023
I never understood why so many people are upset by the reclassification of Pluto as a dwarf planet, it's not like we blew it up or anything
ShnevorSomeone
+1
Level 61
Dec 11, 2017
I kept forgetting how to spell the Kuiper Belt, kept spelling it as "Kupier" and getting super frustrated about how it wasn't letting me get it correct... *sigh*
sumguy
+5
Level 84
Sep 4, 2018
Asteroids aren't free-floating. They orbit the Sun in predictable, permanent paths, the same as the Earth and all of the other planets.
eibi
+3
Level 80
Jun 26, 2019
Ever been in orbit around Earth? Feels very much like free floating.
dunkinggandalf2
+6
Level 68
Dec 16, 2020
Never around Earth, no, but I've spent most of my life orbiting the Sun.
corcaigh
+2
Level 20
Jan 25, 2019
In regards to the quote, I wrote the whole sentence (One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind) and it wasn't accepted. I recommend to accept the whole sentence.
Jacktheguy
+2
Level 89
Aug 24, 2022
But why type more than you need to?
Horseman42
+1
Level 51
Sep 29, 2019
It's 186 282 miles per second more accurately. Of course even that is an approximation.
TWM03
+4
Level 70
Sep 30, 2019
299792458 metres per second is the exact value (not an approximation).
TheCrusher
+3
Level 72
Sep 30, 2019
Neil Degrasse Tyson might be a bit less of a rock star, nowadays. You know, with four accusations of sexual misconduct and all...
Cordelia75
+4
Level 56
Jun 9, 2022
Cleared of all charges. Accused is not convicted. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/neil-degrasse-tyson-cleared-nyc/
catlover2496
+5
Level 44
Jan 2, 2020
I guessed the quote before the quiz started lol.
Schaffy707
+1
Level 50
Feb 13, 2020
Good quiz! I will say that Newton wasn't a philosopher, he was a mathematician and a physicist. Back then he would have been called a "natural philosopher" but not today.
dunkinggandalf2
+3
Level 68
Dec 16, 2020
He actually spent most of his life "studying" alchemy and theology. For the sake of all his other contributions, let's respectfully group these under the term "philosophy", because it feels wrong to say that Newton spent most of his life pursuing crackpot theories on the lunatic fringe.
bostjan
+2
Level 72
Aug 25, 2022
"First name of the philosopher that defined the Theory of Gravity" - the correct answer must be Plutarch. Isaac Newton was not a philosopher, and his "definition" of gravity was likely plagiarized from Robert Hooke's papers on universal gravitation from 4 or 5 years prior. Not to mention that the word "gravity" in regard to universal attraction to the Earth was in use in the English language for hundreds of years before Newton, borrowed from Latin, who likely borrowed the idea from Plutarch, simply eschewing the original Greek term for it in favour of a Latin term.

If you want to stick with the answer, maybe "first name of 'the father of classical mechanics'" or, even better IMO, "the first name of the inventor of the reflecting telescope."

DrLove
+2
Level 47
Sep 11, 2020
Mph, really?
vitriden
+3
Level 81
Oct 12, 2021
Retrograde Mercury Astrology, three answers in a row. Coincidence?
Trepach
+1
Level 47
Apr 6, 2022
As an astrophotograph nerd I kept typing "Guide" for guidescope, since thats what im so used to using but then i remembered back to my visual astronomy days of finderscope issues
Keenibor
+8
Level 72
Jul 21, 2022
Perhaps ”Artemis” should be added too, as it’s a lunar program by NASA as well?
WillemLAif
+1
Level 76
Jul 22, 2022
Missing dark energy. Otherwise 100%.
boltos
+1
Level 72
Jul 30, 2022
I absolutely loved this quiz. One of my favourites. Thank you!
OliviaPG
+8
Level 68
Aug 24, 2022
Can you accept Artemis for NASA lunar program? Not only is it still correct, but it's more current AND it still starts with the right letter.
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