20120306

Astronomy current events question: galaxy ESO 243-49 black hole

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2012
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!)
Ray Villard, Sean Farrell, "Star Cluster Surrounds Wayward Black Hole in Cannibal Galaxy," February 17, 2012
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2012/11/full/
According to a proposed model, the recently discovered intermediate-mass black hole in galaxy ESO 243-49 may be a:
(A) remnant from a smaller dwarf galaxy.
(B) wormhole connected to the central supermassive black hole.
(C) result of the supernova observed by Tycho in 1572.
(D) dark matter anomaly.
(E) core ejected from a dead supergiant.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 17 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 1 student

No comments: