Astronomy quiz question: San Luis Obispo, CA circumpolar stars

Astronomy 210 Quiz 1, Spring Semester 2011
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Where would an observer in San Luis Obispo, CA look to see circumpolar stars in the night sky?
(A) Between the north horizon and the zenith.
(B) Just above the east horizon or west horizon.
(C) Between the south horizon and the zenith.
(D) (None of the above choices, as there are no circumpolar stars visible in San Luis Obispo, CA.)

Correct answer: (A)

San Luis Obispo, CA is in the northern hemisphere, so the celestial north pole and the nearby stars that are circumpolar in their diurnal motion about the celestial north pole will lie somewhere on the meridian between the north horizon and zenith. (At the north pole, the celestial north pole will be at the zenith; while at a location in the southern hemisphere, the celestial north pole will lie somewhere on the meridian between the south horizon and the zenith. Response (B) cannot be true anywhere on Earth, as these stars would eventually fall below the horizon sometime during the day.)

Section 30674
(A) : 23 students
(B) : 8 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 4 students
(No response: 1 student)

"Success level": 58% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.61