Spectacular solar system

quiz whiz

1. What is the name of the galaxy that contains our solar system?
A. Andromeda
B. Milky Way
C. Ursa Major
D. Ursa Minor

2. How many recognized dwarf planets are in our solar system?
A. 1
B. 3
C. 5
D. 7

3. Which of these planets is farthest from the Sun?
A. Neptune
B. Saturn
C. Uranus
D. Venus

4. How many satellites does Jupiter have?
A. 9
B. 25
C. 43
D. 79

5. The planet Uranus is named after the Greek god of … ?
A. Sky
B. Sea
C. Wealth
D. War

6. The Earth takes approximately 24 hours – 1 Earth day – to complete a rotation about its axis. How many Earth days does Venus take to complete a rotation?
A. 0.5 days
B. 59 days
C. 243 days
D. 572 days

7. The Earth takes 365 days to complete a revolution around the Sun. How many days does Pluto take? In other words, what is the length of a Pluto year in Earth days?
A. 992 days
B. 2,657 days
C. 17,328 days
D. 90,560 days

8. Which is the hottest planet in our solar system?
A. Mercury
B. Venus
C. Jupiter
D. Saturn

9. What are Saturn’s rings primarily made of?
A. Rock particles
B. Ice
C. Gases
D. Dust

10. If you compare their circumferences, approximately how many times bigger is the Earth than its moon?
A. 16
B. 8
C. 4
D. 2

11. What is the most abundant element in our solar system?
A. Carbon
B. Oxygen
C. Helium
D. Hydrogen

12. What is the first humanmade object known to have travelled beyond our solar system?
A. Voyager 1
B. Voyager 2
C. Pioneer 5
D. New Horizons

*****

Answers

1. B
A galaxy is a gravitationally bound system of stars and other celestial bodies.
Our solar system is part of the Milky Way Galaxy (which takes its name from the Milky Way band of light that the galaxy forms in the night sky) and is located in the large spiral arm about two-thirds of the way from the galactic centre.
The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest major galaxy to the Milky Way.
Ursa Major and Ursa Minor are constellations (groups of stars) in the northern sky.

2. C
A dwarf planet is a planet-like body that is in direct orbit of a star, has enough gravity to compress itself into a spheroid, but has not cleared the neighbourhood of other material around its orbit (that is, it hasn’t become gravitationally dominant and is under the influence of another body).
In 2006, lovely little Pluto (discovered in 1930) was downgraded from a planet to a dwarf planet (Thanks so much, Mike Brown! :@ #PlutoWillAlwaysBeAPlanetToMe). Four other bodies have since been recognized as dwarf planets – Ceres (discovered in 1801) and Eris (2004) which joined the list in 2006, and Haumea (2005) and Makemake (2005) which were accepted in 2008 – bringing the total number to five.
Additionally, there are six other bodies that have been proposed to be classified as dwarf planets.
The actual number of dwarf planets in our solar system, however, is much larger. It is estimated that there may be as many as 200 in the outer solar system and possibly thousands more in the region beyond.

3. A
Neptune is the farthest planet from the Sun in the solar system. It is the fourth largest planet by diameter and the third most massive planet, nearly 17 times the mass of Earth.
(Although obviously Pluto is the farthest “planet” from the Sun, and, as we’ve already established, it is clearly still a planet in my head, so Pluto is also an acceptable answer. It is the wrong answer, but it is acceptable.)

4. D
Jupiter – the largest planet in our solar system with a mass of two and a half times that of all the other planets combined – has 79 known natural satellites (10 of which were just confirmed last month). Other tiny undiscovered moons probably exist and may not have been detected yet.

5. A
Uranus gets its name from the primal Greek god Uranus whose abode was the sky. German-born British astronomer William Herschel, who discovered the planet in 1781, named it Georgium Sidus (Georgian Star) after monarch George III. The name Uranus was officially accepted in the mid-19th century, as suggested by German astronomer Johann Bode to complement the other planets which are named after Roman gods.

6. C
Venus has the longest rotation period of any planet in the Solar System. A day on Venus lasts for 243 Earth days! That’s 5,832 hours!
A Venusian day lasts longer than a Venusian year, as the planet takes around 224.7 Earth days to complete an orbit around the Sun.
Fun fact: Venus is the nearest planet to Earth when it is in the middle of the Sun and Earth, but there are times when Mars is Earth’s closest neighbour instead.

7. D
The orbital period of Pluto – THE NINTH PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (Shut it, Neil deGrasse Tyson!) – is about 90,560 days, which means Pluto takes around 248 Earth years to complete one revolution!

8. B
You’d think Mercury would be the hottest planet since it is the closest to the Sun, but that title actually goes to Venus, which has the hottest surface temperature, even though Venus is nearly twice Mercury’s distance from the Sun. The atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide which generates a strong greenhouse effect, creating surface temperatures of 462 °C.

9. B
Saturn’s rings are made almost entirely of ice, with trace components of dust and rock particles. The planet has four main groups of rings as well as three narrower groups.

10. C
The equatorial circumference of the Moon is approximately 10,917 km, while the Earth’s circumference is around 40,030 km, which makes the Earth approximately four times bigger than the Moon.

11. D
The main elements in the solar system are hydrogen (which is the most abundant) and helium, primarily because of the composition of the Sun which accounts for the bulk of the mass of the solar system.

12. A
NASA’s space probe Voyager 1 is thought to have left the heliosphere (region of space dominated by our Sun) in 2012, making the spacecraft the first humanmade object to reach interstellar space. Launched in September 1977, 16 days after its twin Voyager 2 (which is expected to reach interstellar space in either late 2019 or early 2020), Voyager 1 is part of a program to study the outer solar system and has been operational for more than 40 years. It still communicates with Earth; its signals take over 19 hours to reach our planet.

- S.A.

Us Magazine, The News International - 31st August, 2018

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before - a cute teen romance that plays it safe

movie review

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Starring: Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, Andrew Bachelor, Trezzo Mahoro, Madeleine Arthur, Emilija Baranac, Israel Broussard, and John Corbett
Directed by: Susan Johnson
Tagline: The letters are out.

Over the last few years, Netflix has made an international impact as an online media service, thanks in large part to its impressive original content. Among the streaming platform’s latest releases is the film To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, a fairly basic teen romance that doesn’t offer anything particularly new or innovative but still charms with its sweetness as well as its amicable cast.

Based on the 2014 novel of the same name (the first instalment of the trilogy) by Korean-American young adult fiction author Jenny Han, the Susan Johnson-directed movie is a standard issue young romance with the notable difference of having a woman of Asian heritage as its lead.

The protagonist is the half-Korean, half-Caucasian Lara Jean Covey (Lana Condor), a middle child who lives with her family – gynaecologist father (John Corbett), older sister Margot (a miscast Janel Parrish) who is moving to Scotland to attend college, and younger sister Kitty (Anna Cathcart) – and misses her late mother.

For reasons that aren’t entirely convincing, Lara Jean has the habit of writing a love letter to any boy she has a major crush on, addressing the envelopes, but never sending the notes to the subjects of her romantic yearnings.

As you would expect, the five secret letters are somehow (and it’s always very obvious how, as the film doesn’t even try to keep that a secret) mailed out, complicating Lara Jean’s life.

Mortified that one of the letters is to her sister Margot’s ex-boyfriend, Josh Sanderson (Israel Broussard), she tries to handle the situation by pretending to start a relationship with heartthrob Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) who also received one of her love notes and is using the situation to make his ex-girlfriend (Emilija Baranac) jealous.

You don’t have to be a genius to figure out how things unfold and where the story eventually leads. It’s all very familiar and predictable. The whole “shy/reserved girl and popular guy in a fake relationship end up developing feelings for each other” concept is an overused teen rom-com trope, and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before sticks to this formula, never diverging from the well-established trail or going into any unexpected territory.

The primary way the film tries to distinguish itself is by having an Asian protagonist. Condor makes an affable Lara Jean, but – much like the movie she helms – Condor is likable but not particularly remarkable. Centineo proves more magnetic and adds charm to the drama, making the central romance more believable. The rest of the supporting cast generally deliver good performances, although why the nearly 30 year old Parrish was (implausibly and distractingly) cast as a teenager remains a mystery.

The talent of the cast does help elevate the somewhat tired material and keep you invested in the predicament and fate of its characters. On the whole, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is a well-intentioned, good-natured teen romance that plays it safe and ends up being more bland than it should have been. There isn’t anything particularly striking about Johnson’s direction, nor has she tried to do something inventive with this project. It’s a cute story about first love and a pleasant coming of age drama, but it doesn’t bring anything new to the genre. Younger viewers – admittedly the movie’s target audience – are likely to enjoy it more than jaded grownups who have seen similar plots unfold on the big screen many times before already. And while it may not be very memorable for the rest of us, for young Internet savvy viewers, it’s still the stuff that memes are made of.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 30th August, 2018

Christopher Robin - a warm and emotional trip down memory lane

movie review

Christopher Robin 

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Jim Cummings, and Brad Garrett
Directed by: Marc Forster
Tagline: Sooner or later, your past catches up to you.

“Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood
Where Christopher Robin plays
You’ll find the enchanted neighbourhood
Of Christopher’s childhood days”

But Christopher’s childhood days are bound to come to an end. So what happens then?

That’s the story of Christopher Robin, a charming fantasy comedy based on the beloved characters that were created by author A. A. Milne and illustrator E. H. Shepard almost a decade ago (inspired by the former’s own son and the child’s toys).

In director Marc Forster’s new film, Christopher Robin (portrayed as a kid by Orton O'Brien) leaves his childhood friends behind as he grows up, trading the imaginative lands of the Hundred Acre Wood for a life full of responsibilities as an adult (Ewan McGregor) in London. He finds love when he meets Evelyn (Hayley Atwell); they marry and have a daughter, Madeline (Bronte Carmichael). After serving in the army during World War II, he returns home and takes a job at Winslow Luggages.

But his imagination, liveliness, and playfulness are all but gone. Christopher is so consumed by the pressures and responsibilities of adulthood that he ends up ignoring his own family while trying to provide for them, unable to see the unhappiness his neglect is causing.

That’s when an old friend comes along to remind him just what is really important in life.

Winnie the Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) somehow stumbles from the Hundred Acre Wood to London. Unable to find his toy friends – Tigger (Cummings again), Eeyore (Brad Garrett), Piglet (Nick Mohammed), Rabbit (Peter Capaldi), Kanga (Sophie Okonedo), Roo (Sara Sheen), and Owl (Toby Jones) – Pooh travels through Christopher’s old door and ends up finding a grown-up Christopher who is shocked to suddenly see his old stuffed bear.

Christopher – who is busy with an important work deadline even on the weekend – decides to take Pooh back to Sussex, and then reluctantly agrees to help him find his friends, getting pulled into an adventure that will make him re-evaluate his priorities and figure out what is actually important to him.

Christopher Robin gets off to a slow start and the charm of the Pooh tales is initially missing from the proceedings. It takes a while for things to really get going, and if you feel like giving up on the film in the first half hour or so, you really shouldn’t. The movie will soon win you over and you’ll be rewarded with a sweet, warm adventure and a much needed reminder of the importance of love, family, and old friends. This isn’t the most impressive project that has ever been inspired by the much loved characters, but after Pooh and co. enter the story, it’s hard to deny the movie’s appeal or wipe a smile off your face.

Both the live-action and voice acting is impressive. McGregor is likable in the lead role as is Atwell as the protagonist’s wife. And it’s great to hear the great Cummings retain his role as the voice of Pooh and Tigger.

There’s wit and wisdom and a whole lot of nostalgia packed into this one and a half hour film. You’re likely to enjoy the movie more if the Pooh Bear tales hold any meaning for you. If you haven’t witnessed the magic of Winnie the Pooh as a child, then none of the references – the Heffalumps and Woozles, Tigger’s song, and the beautiful Winnie the Pooh theme tune – will mean anything, so part of the joy might be lost on you.

All in all, Christopher Robin is a pleasant, affecting comedy drama. There’s a touch of Paddington and a bit of Toy Story thrown in there, and while Christopher Robin can’t quite compete with the emotional resonance of those two projects, it still serves as a sweet, gentle delight.

Rating: 3 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blog - 18th August, 2018

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again isn’t solid filmmaking, but then again it isn’t meant to be

movie review

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

Cast: Amanda Seyfried, Lily James, Pierce Brosnan, Jeremy Irvine, Colin Firth, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Stellan Skarsgård, Dominic Cooper, Cher, Meryl Streep
Director: Ol Parker

With its feel-good vibes and irresistible nostalgic draw, Mamma Mia! won over audiences around the globe in 2008, leaving viewers so engrossed in having fun that they didn’t seem to notice (or mind) that the ABBA jukebox musical wasn’t exactly a cinematic masterpiece. Its financial success – the film became the highest grossing musical of its time – all but guaranteed that a follow-up would eventually materialize, and that sequel (which also serves as a prequel) is finally here in the form of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.

Directed by Ol Parker, the film brings more of the same joyous energy that made its predecessor such a delight for so many, and even when it seems devoid of artistic merit or frantically, ineffectively searching for a reason to exist, you’re having too much fun singing along to the ABBA tunes to complain about the film’s shortcomings (which, if you stop to think about it, are many).

The narrative this time is split into two different timelines – the present and the past.

In the present, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) is trying to honour her late mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), by renovating and reopening Donna’s hotel on the island of Kalokairi. Donna’s best friends, Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters), promptly arrive to support Sophie (Julie Walters), and one of her three dads, Sam (Pierce Brosnan), is on hand for help. But two of her fathers – businessman Harry (Colin Firth) who is busy with work and sailor Bill (Stellan Skarsgård) who is receiving an award – are unable to make it to the reopening, plus she is having trouble in her relationship with Sky (Dominic Cooper), who is in New York where he has been offered a job.

Interspersed into these proceedings is a series of flashbacks that take us back in time. In the past, Young Donna (Lily James) sets off for and eventually settles on the Greek island, and along the way parties with the charming Young Harry (Hugh Skinner), falls in love with Young Sam (Jeremy Irvine) who breaks her heart, and is helped by Young Bill (Josh Dylan) to get over her heartbreak. It’s a story we’re already familiar with – after all, we did get its CliffsNotes version in the previous film – so there isn’t much that is revelatory or unexpected about this elaborated plot.

And it isn’t exactly a sign of competent filmmaking when the movie is littered with inconsistencies. There are plot holes aplenty in this drama, and vigilant viewers will quickly notice several continuity errors – most prominently the order in which Donna meets her suitors and the (unnecessarily tacked on) arrival of Sophie’s grandmother (portrayed by Cher) even though it was implied in the last film that Donna’s mother had passed away.

But hey, we’re not here for compelling drama and affecting character development. This is Mamma Mia! – basically an elaborate excuse to go from one ABBA tune to another. Filmmakers have once again ransacked the ABBA vault, rummaging through the leftovers and stringing together a threadbare plot. And it isn’t exactly shocking that this time the musical material isn’t as strong as it was in the last movie, seeing how we’ve already gone through much of their greatest hits in the 2008 adventure; there are a couple of repeats from the last film as well as several songs that only diehard fans of the band will be familiar with.

As for the performances, in general, the acting talent does its best to elevate this uneven project. Seyfried is effortlessly charming, but the rest of the legacy cast is underutilized. On the negative side, Streep is nowhere to be found for almost the entire film and appears in only one scene. On the positive, Bronsnan’s singing is mercifully brief. But it’s the younger cast that shines, or rather just Lily James who simple steals the show, bringing Young Donna to effervescent life.

Overall, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again isn’t solid filmmaking, but then again it isn’t meant to be. This project wasn’t created to be an Oscar contender, but just an enjoyable escape powered by the nostalgic sugary goodness of catchy ‘70s pop music. The setting is beautiful, the acting by the two main ladies – Seyfried and James – is impressive, and the film is indeed a whole lot of fun … as long as you don’t dissect its plot holes and get bogged down by its inconsistencies or expect a remarkable script and well-crafted, creative storytelling. For its target audience, the film is a joyous treat. For everyone else, it’s a dreary test of patience.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 15th August, 2018 *

Dark and suspenseful, will Glass help Shyamalan get his groove back?

trailer review

M. Night Shyamalan has admittedly had more misses (Lady in the Water, The Happening, The Last Airbender, After Earth) than hits (The Visit, Split) of late. But while he may not be the most consistently impressive filmmaker, the Indian-American director has still created quite a few interesting horror thrillers over his career, which is why the viewers’ attention is piqued whenever he releases something new.

His latest venture is the upcoming Glass, the third instalment in the Eastrail 177 Trilogy, which bring Shyamalan’s previous films Unbreakable (2000) and Split (2016) together and serves as a sequel to both.

The worlds of David Dunn (portrayed by Bruce Willis) – the security guard with superhuman abilities from Unbreakable – and Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) – the kidnapper with dissociative identity disorder from Split – collide as the former pursues the latter, with the mysterious presence of “Mr. Glass” (Samuel L. Jackson) casting a shadow over their encounters.

Sarah Paulson portrays a psychiatrist looking into patients with delusions of grandeur who are convinced they are superhuman, and crosses paths with the protagonists.

If its trailer is any indication, then Glass looks like it could be one of Shyamalan’s better works. The preview doesn’t reveal too much about how exactly things will unfold, and is suspenseful enough to make you want to watch the movie. From the glimpses we get, the film seems well shot, suitably thrilling, and perhaps adorned with the occasional touch of dark humour.

The level of acting talent associated with the movie is itself an indication that this project could be riveting. Willis and Jackson reprise their roles from the very successful Unbreakable. Plus we have McAvoy, who was terrific in Split, and Paulson, who is terrific in everything she does.

Ultimately, the trailer of Glass is likely to leave you looking forward to the film. It will surely be interesting to see the characters return and interact. Here’s hoping the plot and execution are strong enough to do both the characters and the actors justice.

Written, directed, and co-produced by Shyamalan himself, Glass is set to be released on January 18 next year.

- Sameen Amer

The Express Tribune Blogs - 10th August, 2018 *