Question

Astronomer: In 2022, Observatory Z discovered 12 comets within a two-month span, an unusually high figure compared to their typical average of 3-4 comet discoveries per year. Strikingly, most of these 12 comets were discovered using a decade-old telescope, while a recently acquired state-of-the-art telescope, capable of scanning larger portions of the sky and detecting fainter objects, identified only one comet in the same period. This discrepancy is puzzling, given that the new telescope was designed to vastly outperform the older model. Which of the following, if true, most helps to explain the discrepancy described by the astronomer?

• A. The new telescope requires longer exposure times to gather detailed data, limiting the number of observations it can make in a given period.
• B. Observatory Z invested heavily in training staff to operate the new telescope, leaving less funding for additional research staff during 2022.
• C. The older telescope was positioned in a region of the sky where comet activity happened to be unusually high during the observation period.
• D. Comets detected by the new telescope tend to be smaller and less visible than those detected by the older telescope, which focuses on brighter objects.
• E. Observatory Z prioritized public outreach efforts in 2022, devoting significant time to showcasing comet discoveries made using the older telescope.

Hint:

To solve a paradox, look for a new piece of information that reveals the situation isn't as strange as it first appears. Often, the explanation involves a factor that was not previously considered, such as location, timing, or a hidden characteristic of the groups being compared.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept
This is an "Explain the Paradox" question. We have a surprising situation (an old telescope outperformed a new, better one), and we need to find an explanation that makes sense of this discrepancy.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation


Paradox: The "worse" old telescope found many comets, while the "better" new telescope found almost none.
The Core Question: Why did the old telescope find so many? The total number of discoveries (12) was already stated to be "unusually high." The explanation needs to account for both this high total and the old telescope's role in it.
The simplest explanation for finding a lot of something is that you were looking in a place where there was a lot of that something to be found.
Step 3: Final Answer
Let's analyze the options:

(A) This explains why the new telescope might be slow, but it doesn't explain why the old telescope found an *unusually high* number of comets.
(B) This is irrelevant to which telescope would find comets.
(C) This provides a complete explanation. If the old telescope was, by chance, pointed at a part of the sky that had a sudden, rare cluster of comets, it would naturally find many. At the same time, the new telescope, pointed elsewhere, would find few. This explains both the high total number of discoveries and the discrepancy between the two telescopes. It was a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
(D) This explains a difference in the *type* of comets found, but not the vast difference in the *number* of comets found.
(E) This explains why the old telescope's discoveries were publicized, but not why they were made in the first place.
Option (C) is the only one that resolves all aspects of the puzzling situation.