Astronomy current events question: planet GJ 436B

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2010
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, "Distant Planet Missing Common Ingredient," April 22, 2010
http://www.astronomy.com/asy/default.aspx?c=a&id=9791

The NASA Spitzer Space Telescope has discovered that the planet GJ 436B, about the size of Neptune, is missing __________, an ingredient common to many solar system planets.
(A) oxygen.
(B) water vapor.
(C) nitrogen.
(D) carbon dioxide.
(E) methane.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 41 students