Astronomy current events quiz: white dwarf and red dwarf binary system

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2013
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, "Gravity-Bending Find Leads to Kepler Meeting Einstein," April 4, 2013
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-124

NASA's Kepler space telescope detected a white dwarf in a binary star system with a red dwarf by observing __________ as they pass in front of and behind each other.
(A) solar flares.
(B) x-ray pulses.
(C) brightness changes.
(D) repeated nova explosions.
(E) magnetic field fluctuations.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 6 student
(C) : 24 student
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 18 students