Astronomy current event question: planet shredded by white dwarf

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2015
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!)

Janet Anderson and Megan Watzke




, "White Dwarf May Have Shredded Passing Planet" (April 16, 2015)
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/chandra/white-dwarf-may-have-shredded-passing-planet.html

NASA's Swift Gamma Ray Burst space telescope observed x-rays from globular cluster NGC 6388 of a white dwarf destroying a passing planet from its:
(A) type Ia supernova explosion.
(B) gravitational forces.
(C) pulsar beams.
(D) super-hot temperatures.
(E) radioactivity.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 32 students
(C) : 5 students
(D) : 2 students
(E) : 4 students