Ballpark

Puzzle #22 · 11 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 is the Panama Canal, from the Atlantic to the Pacific?

80 kilometers

About 80 km. Locks lift ships 26 m above sea level to Gatun Lake, and between 13,000 and 14,000 ships use the canal each year. Source

Image: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

2. At what elevation does the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu stand, according to UNESCO?

2,430 meters

2,430 m above sea level, in a tropical mountain forest. It was built in the 15th century and abandoned after the Spanish conquest. Source

Image: Diego Delso, delso.photo · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

3. How far do some monarch butterflies fly each fall to reach their winter home?

3,000 miles

As far as 3,000 miles, with eastern monarchs heading for mountain forests in Mexico. They cover 50 to 100 miles a day for up to two months. Source

Image: Charles J. Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

4. What is the highest voltage ever recorded from an electric eel, as reported in a 2019 study?

860 volts

860 volts, from a newly described species, Electrophorus voltai. The figure previously cited for electric eels was 650 volts. Source

Image: Stan Shebs · CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

5. About how many paintings and designs did Pablo Picasso produce, per Guinness World Records?

13,500 paintings and designs

About 13,500, plus 100,000 prints and 34,000 book illustrations, over a 75-year career. Source

Image: Ricard Canals · Public domain