Astronomy current events question: blue stragglers

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)

Elizabeth Landau, "Why These Blue Stars Should(n't) Exist," October 19, 2011
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/19/why-these-blue-stars-shouldnt-exist/

Northwestern University researchers have theorized that a star may become a younger-looking "blue straggler" by:
(A) having its light pass behind a black hole.
(B) taking hydrogen from a companion star.
(C) escaping from the older stars in its cluster.
(D) merging with an older red dwarf.
(E) shedding its unused helium layers.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 11 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 7 students