Astronomy current events question: BD +20 307 exoplanet collision

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!)

Kassandra Bell, "When Exoplanets Collide" (October 22, 2019)
news.ucsc.edu/2019/10/exoplanets-collide.html

Recent evidence of increasing __________ indicate that the collision between two rocky exoplanets in the BD +20 307 star system may have happened relatively recently.
(A) surface reflectivity.
(B) greenhouse effect.
(C) ocean acidification.
(D) infrared brightness.
(E) volcanic outgassing.

Correct answer: (D)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 2 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 3 students
(D) : 30 students
(E) : 3 students