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South African (Off-Topic) Quiz


DamhuisClan

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:laughing:

 

Ok, as a bit of fun...

 

If one could travel as fast as the fastest space craft ever launched so far (a solar probe called Helios 2),

how long would it take to get to the nearest star from the solar system? (Beta Proxima)

 

(There seems to be no technologically capable extra terrestrial life apart from ourselves in the solar system. That would infer that if the earth was being visited by "UFO"s that the nearest place they could come from would be the nearest star. So, it is interesting to see how long an "Alien" would take to get to our planet if they were using our technology)

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I reckon about 50,000 years.

 

I've been out of the astronomy scene for a while - last time I heard the highest speed a spacecraft has reached is about 18km/s. At that speed, and ignoring slowing down effects of the sun's gravity, it'll take around 70,000 years. I presume the Helios is somewhat faster, and a gravity assist by Jupiter will do wonders for it.

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Well, no one really got close.

The answer that my research gave was 19 000 years. This equates to about 600 generations of humans. And that is just the one way trip to the nearest star.

One has to then wonder why an alien would want to travel THAT kind of distance, visit earth, scare someone on a quiet highway/draw a crop circle/help an Egyptian with a pyramid/appear as a flashing light that scoots across the sky.... and the disappear with no trace!

As Bill Bryson puts it: Maybe their teenagers are out looking for a bit of fun!

 

We now have a race: Besem and the Pooks, whoever asks first gets the next question.

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I'll have a go an keep the topic astronomical.

 

On an average night, you can expect to see about 7 meteors (or shooting stars) per hour. Sometimes, however, earth passes through particle streams of higher density, resulting in so-called meteor showers (ranging from between 10 to 30 meteors per hour) and once in a while we'd hit a particularly dense patch, resulting in meteor storms (more than one meteor per minute, but often many more).

 

In 1999 I briefly witnessed a meteor storm at rates that approached 1000 meteors per hour. This famous storm seems to recur every 33 years or so - what is the name of the storm? If you can give me the constellation it emanates from, it'll suffice.

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Some time ago I have created a spreadsheet, from approximate info from the internet which calculates the distance of various planets, and Proxima Centauri

to a scale

 

Example 1:

If the Sun is 5cm big (Size of tennis ball)

then the earth is 0.45 mm big (Grain of sand), at a distance of 5.21 meters

Proxima Centauri would then be 1433 km away.

 

Example 2:

If the Sun is 80cm big (Size of excersize ball)

then the earth is 7.3 mm big (marble?), at a distance of 83.3 meters

Proxima Centauri would then be 23 000 km away.

 

If anybody would like this spreadsheet let me know, and I'll forward off-list.

Edited by DamhuisClan
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I know the Perseid meteor shower is just happened - a lot of press here about going into the desert to see it - as it is Ramadan too and a lot of people are moon spotting.

 

They also mentioned the more spectacular Leonid shower which is less frequent. So that's my guess.

 

I saw the Perseids for the first time last year when I was in Holland, lying on a mattress on the roof of my apartment building. Clouds spoiled the fun a little, but it was still an impressive showing. Nothing like the Leonids, though - I am eagerly awaiting 2032 to see if the storm will recur! The leonid particles come from the comet Tempel-Tuttle which is a short-perdiod comet passing by the sun every 33 years or so, littering the earth's orbit with fresh new particles, which, hopefully, we'll hit in full force come 2032. The particle stream, I mean. Not the comet. :(

 

Take it away CH.

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Springbok Rugby....

 

This is my topic...

 

Let's think now...

 

Bakkies Botha is on 68 or 69, but is suspended at the moment.

Bryan Habana is on 64.

And Juan Smith just behind on 63..

 

Give and take 1 or 2 either way for them all..

 

@CH - Bakkies "Head Butt" Botha might well be suspended but he IS a contracted player!

 

@Henzz - you got it right - 68 test caps currently. Will he ever be selected to play again? I have my doubts. :rolleyes:

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O.K. Let's keep it Springbok related..

 

In terms of tests played the top 3 would be Percy Montgomerie (102), John Smit (100) and Victor Matfield (99).

 

If we define Springbok Careers in terms of time (i.e. Years and days) from 1st to last played tests, who would be the top 3?

 

Remember that the guys now play much more tests every year than what they used to in years gone by..

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O.K. Let's keep it Springbok related..

 

In terms of tests played the top 3 would be Percy Montgomerie (102), John Smit (100) and Victor Matfield (99).

 

If we define Springbok Careers in terms of time (i.e. Years and days) from 1st to last played tests, who would be the top 3?

 

Remember that the guys now play much more tests every year than what they used to in years gone by..

 

In the 1890's Heatly and Powell both played for 13 years followed by Monty who played for 11.

 

[source: IRB Hall of Fame & sarugby.net]

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I see Cincol and Carbon Hunter knows their Springbok stuff..

 

In the 1890's Heatly and Powell both played for 13 years

 

Well Os du Randt was in the 95 team and played again in 2008 - so that puts him at least 13 years too.

 

Naas Botha also played his last test in 92/93 and his first in the 80's?

 

Os retired at one stage, and was asked to return to Rugby by Jake White.

He holds the record at 13 years, 12 days

Spot on with Naas Botha (2nd) who played from 1980 to 1992 12 years, 202 days

Third is .....

Heatly was 4th and Powell was 5th, both of them playing just over 12 years..

 

O.K. I think you guys were onto this one very quickly, so one of you will pull Danie Gerber's name out of the hat for 3rd spot at any moment..

 

I'll give it to Carbon Hunter for getting the top 2...

Take it away CH.

 

P.S. I'll check your reference out Cincol..

The site I pretty much memorized is Genslin

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Ok - my guesses coming in correct took me by surprise. I thought big boet had the nod on me :P

 

What are the common denominator with these cities (it IS a South African question)?

 

Alexandria, Egypt

Baku, Azerbaijan

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Leeds, United Kingdom,

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Guangzhou, China[28]

Nantes, France

Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

Bremen, Bremen, Germany

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Le Port, Reunion Island, France

Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Oran, Algeria

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Eilat, Israel

Maracaibo, Venezuela

Kaohsiung, Taiwan

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I acted a bit like Bakkies, and played outside the rules..

So I earned myself a red card for checking the answer...

I'll watch from the sidelines while the others zero in on the right answer...

 

Henzz - the rules are "as long as you don't Google the answer". I often consult my books or magazines or dictionaries for answers - just don't Google! :D

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