20170210

Astronomy current events question: Milky Way galaxy supermassive black hole "spitballs"

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2017
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!)
Christine Pulliam, "Our Galaxy's Black Hole is Spewing Out Planet-size 'Spitballs'" (January 6, 2017)
cfa.harvard.edu/news/2017-01
The supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy may be flinging infalling stars out as planet-sized gas "spitballs," based on:
(A) infrared measurements.
(B) gravitational waves.
(C) neutrino emissions.
(D) x-ray flashes.
(E) computer simulations.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 4 students
(B) : 16 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 9 students

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