Astronomy current events question: slingshot star PG 1610+062

Astronomy 210L, fall semester 2019
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!)

News release, "Mid-Mass Black Hole Hurls Star Across The Milky Way" (September 9, 2019)
keckobservatory.org/blackhole-slingshot/

The star PG 1610+062 may have been ejected from its birth cluster by a mid-mass black hole (MMBH), based on:
(A) ancient star maps.
(B) lack of dark matter.
(C) computer simulations.
(D) gravitational wave pulses.
(E) its anomalous age and size.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 7 students
(C) : 20 students
(D) : 10 students
(E) : 3 students