Ballpark

Puzzle #13 · 2 October 2026

The five questions from that day's Ballpark, each with its answer, the fact behind it and a link to the source. Rather play it first? It is in the archive.

1. How long was the largest giant squid ever recorded by scientists?

43 feet

Almost 43 feet (13 m), and it may have weighed nearly a ton. Giant squid live so deep in the ocean that they remain elusive. Source

Image: Natural History Museum of Denmark · CC BY 4.0, cropped

2. How many days are in the 13-baktun cycle of the Maya Long Count calendar, which last ended in December 2012?

1.87M days

1,872,000 days, or about 5,125 years: 13 baktun of 144,000 days each. It is one of the longest cycles in the Maya calendar system. Source

Image: Bernard DUPONT · CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped

3. How many sun-tracking mirror units (heliostats) were installed at the Ivanpah solar thermal plant in California's Mojave Desert?

173,500 heliostats

173,500 heliostats, each following the sun to aim its light at a 2,200-ton boiler on top of one of three 450-foot towers. Source

Image: Jllm06 · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

4. How large is Vatican City, the world's smallest country, in hectares?

44 hectares

44 hectares (0.44 square km). The territory is partly surrounded by walls and takes in St Peter's Square. Source

Image: Lukask · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

5. How much water does an Olympic swimming pool hold?

2.5M liters

2.5 million liters (50 m x 25 m x 2 m deep), about 660,000 US gallons. Source

Image: WikiFix2007 · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped