Question ID:PT36 S1 Q13 Passage:When astronomers observed the comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3 becoming 1,000 times brighter in September 1995, they correctly hypothesized that its increased brightness was a result of the comet's breaking up‚ when comets break up, they emit large amounts of gas and dust, becoming visibly brighter as a result. However, their observations did not reveal comet Schwassman-Wachmann 3 actually breaking into pieces until November 1995, even though telescopes were trained on it throughout the entire period. Stem:Which one of the following, if true, most helps to resolve the apparent conflict in the statements above? Correct Answer Choice:CChoice A:Comets often do not emit gas and dust until several weeks after they have begun to break up. Choice B:The reason comets become brighter when they break up is that the gas and dust that they emit refract light. Choice C:Gas and dust can be released by cracks in a comet even if the comet is not broken all the way through. Choice D:The amount of gas and dust emitted steadily increased during the period from September through November. Choice E:The comet passed close to the sun during this period and the gravitational strain caused it to break up.