Ballpark #9 · Sunday, November 8, 2026

The Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars and more

The Sunday, November 8, 2026 puzzle: five questions, each with a number for an answer. How close can you get?

At about what temperature does a popcorn kernel burst open?Inside the kernel, in degrees Celsius
How long is the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars?End to end
How much does an Oscar statuette weigh?The Academy Award of Merit
How much concrete is in Hoover Dam itself, not counting its power plant?In millions of cubic metres
The Panama Canal's locks lift ships up to a lake. How high above sea level is that lake?Gatún Lake

70 players finished Ballpark #9. Average score: 482 of 1,000; 3% scored 800 or more.

New to Ballpark? How to play.

Show answers

🍿 At about what temperature does a popcorn kernel burst open?about 180 °C
Steam builds to roughly nine times normal air pressure inside the hull before the kernel finally explodes.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · popcorn.org
🏜️ How long is the Valles Marineris canyon system on Mars?about 4,000 km
NASA says this Martian canyon system is long enough to stretch from California to New York.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · science.nasa.gov
🏆 How much does an Oscar statuette weigh?about 3.9 kg
The golden figure stands on a film reel and holds a sword, and it is made of bronze plated in 24-carat gold.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · oscars.org
🏗️ How much concrete is in Hoover Dam itself, not counting its power plant?2.48 million m³
Cooling pipes were cast into the concrete, because left to cool by itself it would have taken over a century.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · usbr.gov
🚢 The Panama Canal's locks lift ships up to a lake. How high above sea level is that lake?26 m
Ships climb in three steps at Gatún, cross the lake, then are lowered again on the Pacific side.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · history.com