Astronomy current events question: Hanny's Voorwerp

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
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, "Hubble Zooms in on a Space Oddity," January 11, 2011
http://astronomy.com/en/News-Observing/News/2011/01/Hubble%20zooms%20in%20on%20a%20space%20oddity.aspx

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is observing Hanny's Voorwerp, which is thought to be a:
(A) rapidly shrinking black hole.
(B) giant gas filament illuminated by a quasar beam.
(C) potential source of intelligent radio signals.
(D) dwarf planet slightly larger than Pluto.
(E) comet or asteroid that may impact Earth in 2012.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 13 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 1 student

Astronomy current events question: thunderstorm-generated antimatter beams

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
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!)

Robert Naeye, "Thunderstorms That Shoot Antimatter," January 11, 2011
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/113274169.html

NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope recently discovered that thunderstorms on Earth:
(A) produce antimatter beams that shoot into space.
(B) prevent runaway global warming.
(C) create temporary miniature black holes.
(D) could soon signal a magnetic pole reversal.
(E) may be caused by cosmic rays from space.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 24 students
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 8 students

Astronomy current events question: Spirit rover incommunicado?

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
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!)

Guy Webster, "NASA Checking on Rover Spirit During Martian Spring," November 4, 2010
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/news/mer20110104.html

Why might the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit no longer be able to contact NASA mission controllers?
(A) Batteries damaged by cold.
(B) Too much solar power.
(C) A massive dust storm.
(D) Covered over with dry ice snow.
(E) A massive solar flare.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 9 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 2 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 5 students

Astronomy current events question: planet Kepler 10b discovery

Astronomy 210L, Spring Semester 2011
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!)

Rachel Hoover and Trent J. Perrotto, "NASA'S Kepler Mission Discovers Its First Rocky Planet," January 10, 2011
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/universe/features/rocky_planet.html

The smallest known rocky planet was discovered by NASA's Kepler Mission space-based telescope observing this planet __________ its star.
(A) reflecting light from.
(B) gravitationally wobbling.
(C) crossing in front of.
(D) swallowed up by.
(E) slowly melted by.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 8 students
(B) : 3 students
(C) : 7 students
(D) : 0 students
(E) : 0 students

Found physics: frozen treat arcade crane

20101223796
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/5384723889/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

20101223797
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/5384724079/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Frozen desert crane, Fun Factory arcade, Pearlridge Shopping Center, 'Aiea, HI. Photo by Cuesta College Physical Sciences Division instructor Dr. Patrick M. Len.

Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting

Astronomy 210 In-class activity 6 v.11.01.04, spring semester 2010
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students find their assigned groups of three to four students, and work cooperatively on an in-class activity worksheet to determine where in the sky each naked-eye planet will be observed on a given date (here, February 2, 2011).




Previous posts:

• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  Fall Semester 2010 (September 2, 2010).
• Astronomy in-class activity: planet-hunting
  Spring Semester 2010 (February 4, 2010).

Found physics: International Space Station flyover

101222-1200710
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/5316794537/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

International Space Station passing over 'Aiea, HI, December 22, 2010, 5:23:45 PM, in evening twilight.