Astronomy current events question: disintegrating asteroid P/2013 R3

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2014
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!)

Jessica Agarwal, David Jewitt, and Georgia Bladon, "Hubble Witnesses an Asteroid Mysteriously Disintegrating," March 6, 2014
http://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1405/

NASA/ESA's Hubble Space Telescope provided evidence that __________ caused asteroid P/2013 R3 to rapidly rotate and disintegrate.
(A) Jupiter's gravitational pull.
(B) vaporizing ices.
(C) multiple impacts.
(D) sunlight.
(E) the aurora borealis.

Correct answer: (D)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 14 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 11 students
(D) : 17 students
(E) : 2 students