"Thanks for the class" by Student 5454Astronomy 210
December 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
"Have a good break" by Student 2685Astronomy 210
December 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
20091229
Kudos: thanks and thanks again
"Thanks for the class" by Student 5454Astronomy 210
December 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
"Have a good break" by Student 2685Astronomy 210
December 2009
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
20091209
Astronomy current events question: youngest brown dwarf
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) cooler and lighter than a star, but heavier and warmer than a jovian planet.
(B) an extremely old white dwarf.
(C) an almost failed black hole.
(D) theoretically composed of dark matter.
(E) a star with a high proportion of dusty material.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 20 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 3 students
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!)
Astronomy.com editors, "Spitzer Telescope Observes Baby Brown Dwarf," November 23, 2009The NASA Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered the youngest brown dwarf ever observed, which is:
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8846
(A) cooler and lighter than a star, but heavier and warmer than a jovian planet.
(B) an extremely old white dwarf.
(C) an almost failed black hole.
(D) theoretically composed of dark matter.
(E) a star with a high proportion of dusty material.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 20 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 3 students
20091208
Astronomy current events question: Enceladus geysers
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) a newly discovered ring system.
(B) large mats of photosynthesizing algae.
(C) erupting water vapor and dust geysers.
(D) recent tectonic ice motion.
(E) water circulating under sections of transparent ice.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 18 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 5 students
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!)
Alan MacRobert, "Cassini Visits a Science-Fiction World," November 23, 2009The newest images from the Cassini space probe of Saturn's moon, Enceladus, show:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/71703192.html
(A) a newly discovered ring system.
(B) large mats of photosynthesizing algae.
(C) erupting water vapor and dust geysers.
(D) recent tectonic ice motion.
(E) water circulating under sections of transparent ice.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 18 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 5 students
20091207
Astronomy current events question: T2K neutrino experiment
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) counting solar neutrinos detected in Tokai and Kamioka at the same time.
(B) shooting neutrinos underground from Tokai to a detector in Kamioka.
(C) comparing neutrinos made in Tokai to identical twins made in Kamioka.
(D) counting neutrinos that survive after being airlifted from Tokai to Kamioka.
(E) shooting neutrinos from Tokai and Kamioka to collide in the upper atmosphere.
Correct answer: (B)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 11 students
(B) : 22 students
(C) : 12 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 10 students
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!)
Astronomy.com editors, "Neutrino Experiment Starts Its Search for the Unknown," November 24, 2009The T2K (Tokai-to-Kamioka) experiment in Japan will measure properties of neutrinos by:
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8848
(A) counting solar neutrinos detected in Tokai and Kamioka at the same time.
(B) shooting neutrinos underground from Tokai to a detector in Kamioka.
(C) comparing neutrinos made in Tokai to identical twins made in Kamioka.
(D) counting neutrinos that survive after being airlifted from Tokai to Kamioka.
(E) shooting neutrinos from Tokai and Kamioka to collide in the upper atmosphere.
Correct answer: (B)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 11 students
(B) : 22 students
(C) : 12 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 10 students
20091206
Astronomy current events question: Eta Carinae supernova imminent?
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) Size of both stars have suddenly collapsed.
(B) Size of both stars have increased, merging them together.
(C) Increase in x-rays where their outflowing winds collide.
(D) Neighboring star's supernova shockwave will soon hit Eta Carinae.
(E) Orbits of both stars are spiraling even closer.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 9 students
(B) : 11 students
(C) : 27 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 11 students
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!)
Kelly Beatty, "A Rogue Star Going Wild?," November 26, 2009What observations by the Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph indicate that the stars in the binary star system Eta Carinae may soon explode as type II supernovas?
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/home/75160377.html
(A) Size of both stars have suddenly collapsed.
(B) Size of both stars have increased, merging them together.
(C) Increase in x-rays where their outflowing winds collide.
(D) Neighboring star's supernova shockwave will soon hit Eta Carinae.
(E) Orbits of both stars are spiraling even closer.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 9 students
(B) : 11 students
(C) : 27 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 11 students
20091205
Astronomy current events question: LCROSS debris analyzed
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) water vapor.
(B) dark matter.
(C) radioactive fallout from a thermonuclear detonation.
(D) organic compounds.
(E) carbon nanotubes.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 43 students
(B) : 1 students
(C) : 1 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 3 students
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!)
Kelly Beatty, "LCROSS Impact Kicked up Lunar Water," November 13, 2009Data analyzed from the NASA Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) has determined that debris from an empty Centaur rocket booster that impacted the Moon contains:
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/69991547.html
(A) water vapor.
(B) dark matter.
(C) radioactive fallout from a thermonuclear detonation.
(D) organic compounds.
(E) carbon nanotubes.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 43 students
(B) : 1 students
(C) : 1 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 3 students
20091204
Astronomy current events question: Cassiopeia A neutron star
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) Has a thin coating of carbon.
(B) On the verge of imploding, becoming a black hole.
(C) Has zero spin.
(D) Transparent to certain types of x-rays.
(E) Has not actually exploded yet, due to the finite speed of light.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 38 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 0 students
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!)
Astronomy.com editors, "Carbon Atmosphere Discovered on Neutron Star," November 4, 2009What have University of Alberta researchers determined about the Cassiopeia A neutron star, using results from the Chandra X-ray Observatory?
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8771
(A) Has a thin coating of carbon.
(B) On the verge of imploding, becoming a black hole.
(C) Has zero spin.
(D) Transparent to certain types of x-rays.
(E) Has not actually exploded yet, due to the finite speed of light.
Correct answer: (A)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 38 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 0 students
20091203
Astronomy current events question: Spirit rover stuck
Astronomy 210L, Fall Semester 2009
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!)
(A) Using its scoop to dig a trench out of the sand.
(B) Waiting until the martian winter hardens the sand.
(C) Carefully monitoring the results of spinning all wheels at the same time.
(D) Pushing on a nearby boulder with its robotic arm to gain traction.
(E) The exploration rover Opportunity will give it a push.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 10 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 27 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 3 students
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!)
Astronomy.com editors, "NASA to Begin Attempts to Free Sand-Trapped Mars Rover," November 12, 2009How do NASA engineers plan to free the Mars exploration rover Spirit from being stuck in sand?
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=8811
(A) Using its scoop to dig a trench out of the sand.
(B) Waiting until the martian winter hardens the sand.
(C) Carefully monitoring the results of spinning all wheels at the same time.
(D) Pushing on a nearby boulder with its robotic arm to gain traction.
(E) The exploration rover Opportunity will give it a push.
Correct answer: (C)
Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 10 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 27 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 3 students
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