Trivia: What marker brand comes in fun scents like banana and grape?
Sharpie
Cocomelon
Mr. Sketch
Lisa Frank
Correct Answer: Mr. Sketch
So why is this answer correct? : Since 1965, Mr. Sketch has brought sensory fun to coloring with scents such as grape, cherry, and licorice.
On Sept. 27, 2023, the first U.S. Liberty ship was launched from the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard near Baltimore, and was appropriately named after which American founding father?
SS George Washington
SS Paul Revere
SS Patrick Henry
SS Thomas Paine
SS John Hancock
Correct Answer: SS Patrick Henry
William the Conqueror and his troops began their conquest of England when they set sail from Normandy on September 27th of what year?
1066
1215
1356
1415
1533
Correct Answer: 1066
On Sept. 27, 1777, which Pennsylvania town served as the capital of the United States for one day after encroaching British troops forced the Continental Congress to evacuate Philadelphia?
Scranton
Harrisburg
Lancaster
Erie
Pittsburgh
Correct Answer: Lancaster
Trivia: In February 2021, where did NASA’s Perseverance rover land?
Jezero crater
Utopia Planitia
Huygens crater
Gale crater
Correct Answer: Jezero crater
So why is this answer correct? : Apart from the moon, no other astronomical body has as many named craters as Mars. The Red Planet has so many craters because it has no atmosphere to burn up space debris or crust movement. In October 2018, NASA picked Jezero crater to be the Perseverance rover’s destination because scientists believe it was once home to an ancient river delta.
Trivia: Which of these works of fiction does not involve Mars?
Total Recall
Stranger in a Strange Land
John Carter
Aliens
Correct Answer: Aliens
So why is this answer correct? : While a human hasn’t stepped foot on Mars in real life, that hasn’t stopped people from using the Red Planet as inspiration for their works of science fiction. The 1990 movie “Total Recall” is about a construction worker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who goes on a virtual trip to Mars. Robert Heinlein’s 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land” tells the story of a man who comes to Earth after being raised by Martians. 2012’s “John Carter” is based on the novel “A Princess of Mars,” by Edgar Rice Burroughs, which was published exactly one century earlier. The 1986 film “Aliens,” meanwhile, takes place in the completely fictionalized world of Acheron, which lies 39 light-years from Earth.
Trivia: What is the only planet smaller than Mars?
Earth
Venus
Mercury
Uranus
Correct Answer: Mercury
So why is this answer correct? : Although Mars looms large in our plans to explore the solar system, the planet is relatively small — about half the size of Earth. The only other planet in the solar system smaller than Mars is sun-hugging Mercury, which is roughly two-thirds the size of Mars.
Trivia: What color are sunsets on Mars?
Blue
Red
Orange
Green
Correct Answer: Blue
So why is this answer correct? : It may be known as the Red Planet, but sunsets on Mars are actually blue. Not unlike here on Earth, the color of the sunset is determined by the amount of atmosphere the sun’s light travels through. The fine dust that covers Mars’ surface and fills its skies is rich in iron oxides, which not only gives it its rusty red hue, but is just the right size for the blue light to get through. That light is then scattered, but stays closer to the sun, creating the stark blue glow. Earth, on the other hand, has much more atmosphere for the sun to pass through, filtering out the blue light as the sun slips below the horizon.
Trivia: What is Ingenuity?
A rover
An orbiter
A martian crater
A helicopter
Correct Answer: A helicopter
So why is this answer correct? : In one of the most stunning moments in the history of Martian exploration, NASA flew a helicopter named Ingenuity on the Red Planet on April 19, 2021. Specifically designed to fly in Mars’ super-thin atmosphere, Ingenuity was built with light, yet large, rotor blades that spun incredibly fast — a design that truly earns the name Ingenuity.
Trivia: The first spacecraft to land on Mars was named after what ancient people?
Mongols
Vikings
Olmecs
Polynesians
Correct Answer: Vikings
So why is this answer correct? : On July 20, 1976, NASA’s Viking 1 lander became the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars. During its six-year operation, Viking 1 performed the first soil sample analysis on Mars and found evidence that ancient rivers once flowed on its surface. In 1960, NASA decided that planetary missions would use nautical terms, such as Mariner and Viking.