20110828

Astronomy current events question: Earth's two moons

Astronomy 210L, fall 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!)
Richard Lovett, "Early Earth May Have Had Two Moons," August 3, 2011
http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110803/full/news.2011.456.html
__________ may be consistent with the recently proposed theory that Earth's moon was formed by the collision of two smaller moons.
(A) Radioactivity levels of moon rocks.
(B) Lack of geological activity on the moon.
(C) Historical changes in Earth's tides.
(D) Early formation of ocean life on Earth.
(E) The moon's lopsided crust thickness and composition.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186, 70200
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 48 students

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