Astronomy current events question: spiral galaxies in infrared light

Astronomy 210L, Fall 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, "Spiral Galaxies Stripped Bare," October 28, 2010
http://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2010/10/Spiral%20galaxies%20stripped%20bare.aspx

The European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) HAWK-I camera images spiral galaxies using infrared light, which is:
(A) not affected by spiral arm dust.
(B) not affected by dark matter.
(C) not affected by local light pollution.
(D) arriving at Earth just before the galaxies collided.
(E) slower and steadier than visible light.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 45 students
(B) : 6 students
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 1 student
(E) : 2 students