20140502

Astronomy current events question: habitable zone exoplanet Kepler-186f

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2014
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!)
J.D. Harrington, Michele Johnson, and Karen Randall, "NASA's Kepler Telescope Discovers First Earth-Size Planet in 'Habitable Zone,'" April 17, 2014
http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/april/nasas-kepler-telescope-discovers-first-earth-size-planet-in-habitable-zone/
NASA's Kepler Space Telescope discovered the first Earth-sized habitable zone exoplanet Kepler-186f, which may have:
(A) clear radio signals.
(B) liquid water on its surface.
(C) enough energy for photosynthesis.
(D) active volcanoes.
(E) tectonic plate motion.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 36 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 2 students

1 comment:

Patrick M. Len said...

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2014
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Results from students at the start of this semester who were not instructed to study this current events article are shown below.

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 25 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 5 students
(E) : 6 students