Astronomy current events question: Sombrero galaxy structure

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2012
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!)

Whitney Clavin and J.D. Harrington, "NASA's Spitzer Finds Galaxy with Split Personality," April 24, 2012
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer20120424.html

New observations from NASA's Spitzer space telescope reveal that the Sombrero galaxy is:
(A) entirely composed of dark matter.
(B) the remnant of several simultaneous type II supernovae.
(C) a distant portion of the Milky Way.
(D) much farther away than previously thought.
(E) an elliptical galaxy with an inner thin disk.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 11 students