Thanks to all those who took part in our recent Kaikōura Dark Sky Quiz to celebrate International Dark Sky Week 2023. Here are the answers:
What is our home galaxy called?
A – The Milky Way is the name of the galaxy we live in.
How many stars are there in the Milky Way?
A – There are about 200 billion starts in the Milky Way
Which sort of star is the Sun?
A – The Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star – a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium.
How does the Sun produce energy?
A – Nuclear fusion is when a star’s hydrogen atoms crash into each other and become helim, thereby producing energy.
Where would you see the “Great Red Spot”?
A – Jupiter
What is a supernova?
A – An explosion of a massive star
What causes light pollution?
A – Excessive artificial light at night
Which of these local birds is most affected by light pollution?
A – Hutton shearwater become disorientated and drawn to the light. They often crash land and if they are lucky enough to survive the crash they can’t take off leaving them vunerable to predation.
Light pollution causes all but ONE of the following problems for birds. Which one is it?
A – Decreased predation
The excess of nighttime light that comes with light pollution causes a disruption in our circadian rhythms. Which of the following best defines these rhythms?
A – Our body’s 24-hour biological cycle
Outdoor lighting is intended to enhance our safety and security at night, but ironically some types of lighting can actually have the opposite effect. All of these but ONE actually decreases our safety. Which is it?
A – Lighting that directs light only where it is needed
Lighting that emits too much light or shines when and where it’s not needed is:
A – Wasting energy and therefore costing your money.
What’s the quickest, easiest, and most effective way to reduce/prevent light pollution?
A – Switching off lighting. (Using sensors / automatic timers to control lighting, shielding all outdoor light sources and directing light only where it’s needed & choosing warm-coloured, low-output light sources all help to reduce light pollution).
Results
Anyone who answered all 12 multiple choice questions correctly went into the prize draw to win 1 of 2 $50 meal vouchers for the Strawberry Tree Kaikoura Limited. Winners to be announced shortly.
This quiz has kindly been sponsored by:
