Astronomy current events question: beta Pictoris b

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!)

Emily Baldwin, "New Images of beta Pictoris Planet," March 4, 2011
http://www.astronomynow.com/news/n1103/04betapic/

Recent observations of exoplanet beta Pictoris b by the Very Large Telescope have allowed astronomers to determine the:
(A) parallax of its star, beta Pictoris.
(B) current location of exoplanet beta Pictoris a.
(C) mass and temperature of the planet.
(D) main-sequence lifetime of its star, beta Pictoris.
(E) estimated number of other exoplanets.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 8 students
(C) : 28 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 1 student