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The astronomy instructor offered to give extra credit to eight students – Jack, Jane, Jeff, Jess, Jill, Jodi, John, and Judy - if they’d help the rest of the class learn about the Solar System. Each student would choose one planet – Earth, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune Saturn, Uranus, or Venus - and write a special report to be presented in front of the class.
Based on the following clues – and feel free to do online research as necessary to figure out the clues - determine which student chose which planet for his or her report. Good luck!
Clue 1 = The name of Jess’ planet ends with an “S.”
Clue 2 = Jane’s planet is smaller than Venus.
Clue 3 = Jack’s planet lies just beyond the Asteroid Belt.
Clue 4 = The orbit of Judy’s planet is smaller than Earth’s orbit.
Clue 5 = Jill’s planet lies further from the Sun than any other.
Clue 6 = Jeff’s planet has multiple moons.
Clue 7 = Jodi’s planet is widely known as ”the Red Planet.”
Comments (20)
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Woohoo! That was fun. I liked the added need to research. Admittedly, back in HS I could have gotten away without doing the research, but that’s what happens to old people.
posted by Ian on 10-27-2009 at 7:55 am
Got it without any research! I feel smart today!
posted by Brian on 10-27-2009 at 8:04 am
I feel equally smart, Brian!
posted by Steven on 10-27-2009 at 8:19 am
Couldn’t Jack and Jeff’s planets be interchanged?
I guess “just beyond” is the distinguishing factor.
In any case, thanks for forcing me to learn about the solar system!
posted by J on 10-27-2009 at 8:20 am
Yeah, that was fun. My 7 year-old’s obsession with the solar system has made me learn more about the planets that I ever thought I’d know, so no research was needed for me, either.
Thanks, Sandy.
posted by Toby on 10-27-2009 at 8:37 am
I would have done it without research, but I stupidly used Uranus twice and forgot to use EARTH!!
posted by Bill on 10-27-2009 at 9:39 am
I agree with J about Jack’s and Jeff’s planets.
Great puzzle! Enjoyed it!
posted by Carolyn on 10-27-2009 at 10:08 am
J, yep, “beyond” is the key word there. No matter whether your reference point is the Sun or the Earth, Jack’s planet has to be on the far side of the Asteroid Belt.
posted by Sandy Wood on 10-27-2009 at 10:16 am
Both Jack’s and Jeff’s planets have multiple moons AND are beyond the Asteroid Belt….but I guess that since Jack’s is closer to the Belt, it would technically be “just beyond”.
Does that make sense? Or am I having my usual brain farts again?
posted by J on 10-27-2009 at 10:33 am
You’re right, J. The key word, then, is “just.” :)
I knew there was a particular reason I phrased it that way. I could (and probably should) have said “the largest planet” instead, but I thought the Asteroid Belt’s location might be a stumper for some.
posted by Sandy Wood on 10-27-2009 at 10:37 am
Woohoo!! I finally got one.
posted by Heather on 10-27-2009 at 12:17 pm
Heh. I almost got stumped separating Jane and Judy. Until I realized that Venus couldn’t be smaller than Venus…. *d’oh*
I had to look up the relative sizes of the planets (I couldn’t remember if Mars was bigger than Venus) and the moons (I had no idea how many moons Uranus and Neptune had).
This was a fantastic puzzle!
posted by Lugh on 10-27-2009 at 1:40 pm
Got it in just a few seconds. Really it was a matter of how fast I wrote it down to parse it out. Nice quiz.
posted by Allen on 10-27-2009 at 2:06 pm
I feel smart…yea me!
posted by Fran on 10-27-2009 at 3:56 pm
Got it. Only had to double-check on a couple facts that were a little fuzzy in my memory.
posted by Nerak on 10-27-2009 at 5:47 pm
This brain game is very misleading. Please reconsider and do not blindly accept the controversial demotion of Pluto by only four percent of the IAU, most of whom are not planetary scientists. Their decision was immediately opposed in a formal petition by hundreds of professional astronomers led by Dr. Alan Stern, Principal Investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto. One reason the IAU definition makes no sense is it says dwarf planets are not planets at all! That is like saying a grizzly bear is not a bear, and it is inconsistent with the use of the term “dwarf” in astronomy, where dwarf stars are still stars, and dwarf galaxies are still galaxies. Also, the IAU definition classifies objects solely by where they are while ignoring what they are. If Earth were in Pluto’s orbit, according to the IAU definition, it would not be a planet either. A definition that takes the same object and makes it a planet in one location and not a planet in another is essentially useless. Pluto is a planet because it is spherical, meaning it is large enough to be pulled into a round shape by its own gravity–a state known as hydrostatic equilibrium and characteristic of planets, not of shapeless asteroids held together by chemical bonds. These reasons are why many astronomers, lay people, and educators are either ignoring the demotion entirely or working to get it overturned. Using the broader planet definition preferred by Stern and others gives our solar system 13 planets and counting: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Kids deserve to learn that there are still two sides to this ongoing debate.
posted by Laurel Kornfeld on 10-27-2009 at 6:18 pm
Wait a minute you’re telling me that scientists arent sure what they are talking about, and I know doctors dont know anything, seems like I need to start going to church.
posted by CJ on 10-27-2009 at 7:18 pm
A Brain Game is just a Brain Game and not a political statement.
Please don’t call my work “misleading” because I did or did not include Pluto. I simply used the list of planets as described in the new 2010 almanac.
Pluto is Pluto, and shall remain so, whether we call it a planet, a dwarf planet, or a cheeseburger.
posted by Sandy Wood on 10-27-2009 at 7:19 pm
I didn’t do to well. Pluto may no longer be classified as a planet by scienctists but I still consider it a planet.
posted by Kari on 10-27-2009 at 10:14 pm
Finally I got one, and it was easy. No research needed.
posted by Roberto on 10-28-2009 at 1:58 am