Astronomy current events question: Beta Pictoris exocomet families

Astronomy 210L, fall 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!)

Alain Lecavelier des Etangs, Flavien Kiefer, Richard Hook, "Two Families of Comets Found Around Nearby Star," (October 22, 2014)
http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1432/

The European Southern Observatory HARPS instrument detected two families of exocomets as they __________ the young star Beta Pictoris.
(A) bombarded planets orbiting.
(B) passed in front of.
(C) collided with each other near.
(D) were vaporized by.
(E) were ejected from.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 5 students
(B) : 27 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 2 students