Astronomy current events question: Fast-Evolving Luminous Transient (FELT) explosions

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2018
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!)

Ray Villard, Armin Rest, "Kepler Solves Mystery of Fast and Furious Explosions" (March 26, 2018)
http://hubblesite.org/news_release/news/2018-18

NASA's Kepler space telescope's observations of Fast-Evolving Luminous Transient (FELT) explosions may be explained by stars that expel __________ before becoming supernovae.
(A) antimatter.
(B) gas and dust.
(C) dark matter.
(D) neutrinos.
(E) x-ray pulses.

Correct answer: (B)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 20 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 6 students