Eye on the Sky Trivia Quiz

Answer: Isaac Newton

Considered by many to be one of the great scientific minds of the 17th century, Newton is remembered for establishing the three laws of motion. As a result of his study of optics, he was instrumental in changing the design and size of the telescope as well as developing the reflecting telescope.

Answer: Charles Messier

Messier's interest in comets began in his youth with the appearance of a six-tailed comet. On the advice of a navy astronomer, Messier cataloged his observations because he wanted to distinguished nebulae from comets. His results became known as the "Messier Catalogue" and is still used by astronomers today.

Answer: Christiaan Huygens

Not only did Huygens discover the rings of Saturn, he discovered its moon, Titan. He went so far as to observe the phases and changes in the shape of the rings and documented his results. Circular motion fascinated him to such a degree that he created and patented the first pendulum clock in 1656.

Answer: Tycho Brahe

A solar eclipse provided a springboard for Brahe's interest in astronomy. His observations and documentations without the use of a telescope were brilliant. He paid particular attention to the planet Mars, discovering that its orbit was elliptical, not circular.

It is this information that Johannes Kepler later used in his theories on planetary motion. As for Brahe's nose, he lost part of it in a duel.

Answer: Annie Jump Cannon

Annie Jump Cannon was born in Delaware in 1863. She worked as an assistant at the Harvard College Observatory, handpicked to sort photographs of stellar spectra. Her hard work culminated in the publication of "Harvard System of Spectral Classification." As a result of her research, she discovered 300 variable stars and 5 novae.

Answer: Michael E. Brown

Due to Brown's research on trans-Neptunian objects, he discovered a dwarf planet larger than Pluto, thus demoting the former ninth planet to dwarf planet. Pluto's demotion didn't sit well with a lot of people, especially school-age children. Perhaps in defense of changing Pluto's status in the cosmos, he published a book in 2010 called "How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming."

Answer: Arthur Eddington

Born into a family of Quakers, Eddington was able to bridge the gap between science and religion by publishing books on the philosophy of science and spiritual reality. His greatest scientific achievements lay with his strong interest in studying stars. A respected astrophysicist, he wrote the scientific classic "Internal Constitution of the Stars."

Answer: William Herschel

Herschel became fascinated with nebulae during his observations of the heavens. He discovered Uranus and its two moons, Titania and Oberon, by using a telescope that he had built himself. Herschel's reflecting telescope was funded by none other than King George III. Due to his fascination with nebulae and stars, Herschel drew the conclusion that nebulae were formed by stars and not by luminous fluid, the prevailing theory at that time. With his help, William's sister Caroline went on to become a respected astronomer herself and carried on with his work after his death.

Answer: Edmond Halley

While still in his teens, Halley made observations of the Solar System using his father's astronomical instruments. In 1678 he published a star catalog which solidified his reputation as an astronomer. Halley had been making observations of comets seen in the years 1456, 1531, 1607 and 1682 until it occurred to him that maybe the same comet was reappearing at intervals of 75 years. Halley also did some ocean traveling and later created a map of the world illustrating how trade winds over the oceans were distributed.

It was the first meteorological chart to ever be published.

Answer: Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Jocelyn gained fame with her theories on radio pulsars with her mentor, Antony Hewish, who was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physics. For years she studied wave spectrums and discovered that radio waves twinkled just like stars. This twinkling is known as interplanetary scintillation.

Although she didn't share the Nobel prize with Hewish, she has received many awards over the years. A practicing Quaker, she published a book "A Quaker Astronomer Reflects: Can a Scientist Also Be Religious?" which reflects her thoughts on science and religion.