Final Jeopardy: Constellations (6-9-17)

Today’s Final Jeopardy question (6/9/2017) in the category “Constellations” was:

The brightest star in Scorpius is named this, meaning “rival” of the god equivalent to Mars.

2x champ Bala Kumar has now won $42,999. In his third match, his challengers are: Johanna Andrews, from Sunnyvale, CA; and Tucker Dunn, from Tucson, AZ.

Round 1 Categories: The I.T. Department – German History – Recent Movies – Between the Lions – U.S. Mountains – In My Element

Johanna found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “U.S. Mountains” under the $800 clue with only one clue left after it. She was in second place with $3,600, $1,000 less than Bala’s lead. She bet $1,400 and she was RIGHT.

Popular with hikers, this Phoenix landmark is named for its resemblance to a humped mammal kneeling.

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WHAT IS CAMELBACK MOUNTAIN?

The round ended there and Joanna finished in the lead with $5,000. Bala was next with $4,600 and Tucker was last with $1,800.

Round 2 Categories: The “I.T.” Department – People-pourri – Travel & Tourism – My Big Fat Ancient Greek Library – Amphibians – Hart-felt Lyrics

Bala found the first Daily Double in “Ancient Greek Library” under the $1,600 clue on the 6th pick. He was back in the lead with $7,000 now, $2,000 more than Johanna in second place. He bet $2,500 and he was RIGHT.

Aeschylus “bound” up this troublesome god in the title of a drama. show

WHO IS PROMETHEUS?

Bala found the last Daily Double in “Amphibians” under the $2,000 clue, with only 3 clues left after it. In the lead with $13,900, he had $3,300 more than Tucker & Joanna, tied in second place. He bet $2,100 and thought it was a guppy. That was WRONG.

A species of fish with a big round head & a skinny tail is called this “fish” after the young of many amphibians. show

WHAT IS TADPOLE?

Tucker finished in the lead with $12,200. Bala was next with $11,800 and Johanna was in third place with $9,400.

Only ONE of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.

WHAT IS ANTARES?

“Antares is Greek for “like Mars” or “rivaling Mars.” Antares is sometimes said to be the “anti-Mars.” All of this rivalry (or equivalency … for what is rivalry, after all?) stems from the colors of Mars and Antares. Both are red in color, and, for a few months every couple of years Mars is much brighter than Antares. Most of the time, though, Mars is near the same brightness or much fainter than Antares. Every couple of years, Mars passes near Antares, which was perhaps seen as taunting the star, as Mars moves rapidly through the heavens and Antares, like all stars, seems fixed to the starry firmament.” (Earthsky.org: Antares is the Heart of the Scorpion)

Johanna didn’t have a response. She lost her $2,500 bet, retaining $6,900.

Bala came up with Vulcan but that only cost him $412. He had $11,388 left.

Tucker got it right. He bet $11,401 and became the new Jeopardy! champ with $23,601. So Tucker’s 10 siblings will get to see him play again on Monday and so will we!

A triple stumper from each round

THE “I.T.” DEPARTMENT ($1000) You can stretch out your back by means of this, basically hanging upside down

MY BIG FAT ANCIENT GREEK LIBRARY ($800) Trouble ensues in Euripides’ tragedy about this enchantress abandoned by her husband for another woman

2 years ago: NONE of the players got this FJ in “Ships in the News”

In 2012 Nature Magazine ran an obituary for this ship which “died after a long struggle with bad publicity.” show

WHAT IS THE EXXON-VALDEZ?

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