Astronomy current events question: black hole x-ray flares

Astronomy 210L, fall 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!)

Whitney Clavin, "Black Hole Has Major Flare" (October 27, 2015)
jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4753

Two NASA space telescopes detected an x-ray flare from a supermassive black hole, which may have been triggered by __________ in its surrounding corona.
(A) radioactivity.
(B) disruptions.
(C) antimatter.
(D) a supernova.
(E) gravity waves.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 13 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 5 students