Astronomy current events question: high velocity star S5-HVS1

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, "Runaway Star Was Ejected From The 'Heart Of Darkness'" (November 12, 2019)
carnegiescience.edu/news/runaway-star-was-ejected-heart-darkness

Astronomers determined that the high velocity star S5-HVS1 will eventually leave the Milky Way, after being ejected by:
(A) dark matter.
(B) globular clusters.
(C) a type II supernova.
(D) colliding neutron stars.
(E) the central supermassive black hole.

Correct answer: (E)

Student responses
Sections 70178, 70186
(A) : 3 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 4 students
(D) : 6 students
(E) : 20 students