Astronomy current events question: super-Earth 55 Cancri e climate

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2016
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!)

Felicia Chou and Whitney Clavin
, "NASA’s Spitzer Maps Climate Patterns on a Super-Earth" (March 30, 2016)
nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-spitzer-maps-climate-patterns-on-a-super-earth

NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope mapped the climate of super-Earth 55 Cancri e as it:
(A) emitted greenhouse gases.
(B) orbited around its star.
(C) erupted volcanically.
(D) changed its seasons.
(E) experienced erosion.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 30678, 30679, 30680
(A) : 6 students
(B) : 19 students
(C) : 6 students
(D) : 8 students
(E) : 3 students