The Puzzler

By Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Asteroids

You are the navigator of the starship Atlantic, approaching a treacherous region of space known to be full of irregularly scattered asteroids. To chart the region with your Asteroid Detector, you have sent out Across probes (1-12) and Down probes (a-l), which you must display on your screen (the diagram at right). Each probe consists of one or two words clued in order. Wherever an Across probe fails to intersect with a Down probe, there must be an asteroid. This should be represented on your screen as a black square. A probe may be interrupted by any number of asteroids and in any place. Happy mapping!

Clues are normal (if spacy), and their answers include eight capitalized words.

The solution to last month’s Puzzler appears on page 123. The winner of the April Puzzler contest will be announced in the June issue.

Across

1. Asteroid in wandering isn’t absolutely straight?

2. Mariner One, distant in space, apprehended by observer

3. Extraterrestrial broadcasting school Back half of moon framed by keen associate

4. Chance for new haircut in Aries Part of an airship Sagan left unfinished

5.Enterprise’s new mix?

6. Except for second rock asteroid belt wiped out

7. UFO’s pilot controlled our group’s planet

Outfits for forces felt by accelerating astronauts

8. At first, Spock, Uhura, “Bones" mingled in the bow

9. Midmost of asteroids skirted by wise officer?

Sun Mother—a sacred figure to Hindus

10. Make up a story: “Captured by an Outer-Space Creature”

O. S. Card’s Missing Ender getting prize

11. Atom League’s travel stop

12. Construction piece for front of space laboratory

Storm in Bajoran territory

Down

a. Important binary star of Canis Major, reportedly

Ship carrying American missiles

b. Port for ships wrecked in U-blast

c. Gas nebula’s origin, before a billion years

Path of red in comet’s wake

d. 186,000 mi/sec, Aldebaran scattered lights?

e. Minor feature of Saturn covered by element #26

f. Uniform for unit’s leader amid swarming comets

Head of NASA, or bureau’s chiefs

g. LEM, per order, carries VIP

h. Speedsters run into first of rocket pilots

Broadcast area includes Dog Star?

i. Irregular crater I shot

j. Oxygen in star transforming with heat

Sign a fantastic ship’s captain returned

k. Outer space angle distorted land in Africa

l.Endeavor re-entry’s final sequence Launch again, holding departure for flier

Note: The instructions above are for this month’s puzzle only. It is assumed that you know how to decipher clues. For a complete introduction to clue-solving, send an addressed, stamped long envelope to The Atlantic Puzzler, 745 Boylston Street, Boston, Mass. 02116.

ANSWERS TO THE APRIL PUZZLER

“Smorgasbord”

Leftover letters may be rearranged to spell ALPHABET SOUP. Smorgasbord, a. AN-TIPAS TO b. S(TART)UP c. DAL(L)AS (anag. + l) d. VEGGIES (anag.) e.HEWS (hidden) f.P(OTHER)B Diners. 1.S(H)OTS 5.(car)TONS 10. COM(POT)E 12. PORT-I(O)N 13. TU(G)S 16. PA-ELLA 17. CA(I)N 18. (ol) IVES 20. D(IN)IN-G 23. A(L)ES (sea rev.) 25. PELE (anag.) 27. PEA(r)S 31. B-IN-S 32. CHA-PER-ONE 33. PAN-TRY 34. S-P-ED 35. (b)ASSES Down. 1. S(CH)TICK 2. HOPHEAD (anag.) 3. A(PO)GEE 4. TOPS (rev.) 6. (b)OTTO(m) 7. W(E)ILL 8. NOODLE (double def.) 9. SAN(TA)S 11. SOD-A 14. STILES 15. EVIL (hidden) 16. PI(G’S)TY 19. (p)LNTO 21. G(L)IDERS (anag. + l) 22. J(ERSE)YS (Erse replacing OE) 23. A(PI)CES 24. RES-HIP 26. SCIONS (anag.) 28. SH-APE 29. (t)ALE-E 30. SPAN (rev.) 31. BRAS(h)