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